Family Ties
by Tauna Petit-Strawn
Summary: Nick and Heath go to Abbottsville to help Jim Barkley only to find out Jim didn't tell them everything in his letter. Jarrod and the other Barkleys might appear in the story as well. Drama MIGHT come into play. Rating subject to change. Follows the story "The River is Wide"
1. Chapter 1

A/N I should have stated this in the story "The River is Wide"; this AU set in 1874/1875

Chapter One

Heath was sure the stagecoach he was riding in had hit every pothole in the road by the time it rolled into Abbottsville. From the look on Nick's face, his hot tempered brother must feel the same way. At least the nice, cool breeze that was blowing through town made up for the rough ride. "Twenty minutes folks," the stagecoach driver, a heavier set gentleman with gray hair, said after he'd stopped the coach and his passengers started climbing out. "I'll be leaving in twenty minutes. If you're going on, be here as I don't wait for anyone."

"Friendly fellow," Nick commented as he and Heath starting walking down the boardwalk. He then glanced at Heath and asked, "How are you doing?"

Heath had only been walking with his prosthetic leg for a couple of months, and this was the first trip he'd taken that involved riding in a stagecoach since he'd been shot at Sample's farm. "I'm fine." Heath gave his brother a lopsided grin. "Now, let's check and see if your Uncle Jim left the horses he promised us at the livery stable."

Nick kept his growl low, knowing Heath was still adjusting to being a Barkley, not Thomson. He also knew that adjustment was being made harder by some of the ranch hands. Though, the majority of those men hadn't done more than verbally harass Heath due to the fact that everyone knew he'd saved Jarrod's life and what it had cost the young man in the long run. The only one to actually try to physically attack Heath had been their ranch hand Barrett…and he'd been promptly fired by Heath. When the man tried to go to Nick and get re-hired Barrett had been stunned to hear Nick tell him to he, Nick, had checked into why Heath had fired Barrett and that he, Barrett, could 'get the hell off my land and stay away from my brother!' "He's your uncle too." Nick looked at Heath.

Heath shrugged his shoulders. He knew Nick meant well; and, he knew technically James "Jim" Barkley was indeed his blood uncle. However, none of that changed the fact that he'd never met the man. If he was still saying 'ma'am' or 'Mrs. Barkley' the majority of the time to Victoria, how could he be expected to call Tom Barkley's brother 'uncle'? "I still don't see why he wanted us to come to Abbottsville." Heath said as he started to cross the street to the livery stable. "From what you all say he knows horses better than you do. He should be able to tell whether or not he's buying good animals or not."

 _"I told you, he just wants to meet Heath. After all, it's not every day we get a new family member and," Jarrod smiled at Nick, "I think he wants to meet the man who has insisted on continuing to work on a ranch even though he's lost a part of his leg. Not everyone would do that'._ Jarrod's words, ones spoken after they'd received the letter from their Uncle Jim, rang in Nick's head. He was sure Jarrod was right, but why speculate on that one at the moment? Heath would probably just bolt if he did. The family had learned quickly that the one of the things his new brother didn't like was an overly amount of attention. That being the case, Nick simply chuckled and said, "He can, but then what excuse would he have to get us down here?" Nick chuckled again as he told Heath of the times Jim had come up with an excuse to get one of the family members to travel o Abbottsville.

Heath shook his head and chuckled also. Though, as he thought on uncles, his smile disappeared as one name always came to mind when he heard the title of uncle…Matthew Simmons. Just the thought of that man's name left a bad tasted in Heath's mouth.

Seeing the change in his brother's countenance, Nick grew alarmed. "What is it? What is wrong? Do you see something?" Nick asked as he looked around, halfway expecting to see some trouble following them.

What was wrong? Heath inwardly shook his head. Men like Matt Simmons and women like Martha were the problem. Always thinking about themselves, and never taking the time to look around them to see who might need help. People like his aunt and uncle who thought nothing about whipping a child over the stupidest things or sending them to the room with no supper and making them stay there for hours on end. "Just thinking," Heath answered as his quickly threw his poker face back into place.

Nick shook his head as the two of them walked through the open livery stable doors. Another thing he had learned since Heath had joined the family was that the man's mouth was as tight as a bear trap and twice as hard to open. How on earth was he going to ever get Heath to open up and talk?

"Hello, Mr. Barkley!" The livery stable owner, Joshua Giles, who was standing near the back of the stable, grinned as he approached Nick. "Who's your friend?"

"This is my brother, Heath." Nick replied, keeping an eye out for any adverse reaction in the livery stable owner's expression.

"Your brother! Since when did you have another brother!" Mr. Giles involuntarily exclaimed and then added, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that." He quickly apologized, though it was mostly because he feared Jim Barkley pulling his business away from the stables. It was a fact that Nick and Heath could both tell simply by reading the man's body language. Nick might have said something, only Heath shot him a looked that asked him to drop it. Something Nick wouldn't have done except he couldn't see ever getting as close to Heath as he was to Jarrod and the others if he ignored his wishes.

"We came for the horses our uncle was supposed to have waiting here for us." Nick said as he looked around the stable.

"Oh, yes," Mr. Giles turned and called for his stable boy to get the horses meant for the Barkleys. He then excused himself, saying he had to get back to work. It didn't take but a few minutes for Nick and Heath to mount the horses and start out for Jim Barkley's place.


	2. You're just as good and Jim's thoughts

Chapter Two

Nick was not happy that he found he and Heath had to take the alternate road between Abbottsville and Jim Barkley's ranch. A harsh rain storm that had hit Abbottsville the week before, which meant the regular route was impassable. Nick had never cared for the alternate route; it was supposed to be the same distance as the other way, but no one could convince him of that. It had to be at least two or three miles longer. He glanced over at Heath and sighed as he again remembered all the harassment his new brother had been enduring due to other people's bad attitude towards one who was not only illegitimate, but had a disability to deal with…a fact that had only been driven home once more as Mr. Giles had an all too familiar look come into his eyes when Nick had referred to Heath as a brother, or the way the man had glanced down at Heath's leg…even though his pants and boot covered his prosthetic leg. It told Nick that someone, most likely Jim, had told the man about the loss of Heath's leg. Which meant only one thing…the man's "surprise" at hearing Nick referring to Heath as brother was all an act.

"Don't let it bother you, Nick." Heath turned his head slightly and shocked Nick. How on earth did the boy do that…he could read him like a book.

"You're just as good as he is." Nick growled ever so slightly. "You're the Barkley just the same as me; there was no reason for him to look at you that way!" He didn't think he needed to add the fact that Mr. Giles had turned and watched Heath walk towards the horse that was waiting for him, as if he expected Heath to fall on his face or something. It infuriated Nick, and he would have said something, only he just wanted to get to Jim's ranch.

Heath was taken aback just a little. Even with Nick backing him up on firing Barrett, Heath hadn't been totally convinced Nick really considered him a Barkley. After all, Nick hadn't been overly friendly to him over the past couple of months and, while Nick was loud around everyone else, he wasn't all that hard on Heath's ears. Also, Heath had seen Jarrod talking to Nick moments before Barrett approached Heath. That being the case, Heath had just figured Jarrod had something to do with the support Nick had shown. Now, with Nick's words and angry tone directed at Mr. Giles, Heath didn't know what to think.

"Like I said," Heath told Nick as he, Heath, ducked to avoid a low hanging tree branch. He had been fighting a slight headache all day; he didn't need a whack from a tree branch to add to it. "Leave it alone. Can't do a thing about men like that, just got to live your own life."

Nick could think of a few things he could do to men like that…if he wanted to land in jail…but, he chose to change subjects instead. By the time he and Heath reached Jim's ranch, both were more than ready to simply sit and relax.

 **~oOo~**

Jim Barkley leaned against his new built corral, one that would soon hold a couple more horses. He hoped it would anyway. As he thought on the horses; his mind turned to the blond haired nephew he had yet to meet, along with his hot tempered nephew. Jim sighed as he thought back to the time when Tom had shown up on his doorstep, shocking him by asking if he could have a room and then confessing what he'd done.

 _"I've begged Victoria for her forgiveness, but told her I wouldn't force my way back into her life. I told her I'd be here until she decides what she wants." Tom stood staring into Jim's fireplace, though no fire was burning. Jim could see the immense amount of pain and regret in Tom's eyes._

"She must have been something to distract you from Victoria." Jim said after coming out of shock.

 _Tom gave him a sad smile and told him how he, Tom, had been attacked and robbed. He told of how Leah and Hannah had found him and taken him to their home. "I was hurt pretty bad and remembered very little. Leah was kind and tended to my wounds and made sure I had a roof over my head while I recovered. However," Tom sighed and shook his head, "I might not have remembered my family, but I still had my wedding ring on. I knew I must be married. I never should have let myself take a second look."  
_  
 _"You sound as if you're blaming just yourself." Jim said after his brother quit speaking. "And, no, before you ask, I'm not saying this Leah bares all the blame either. It sounds as if it was a two way street."  
_  
 _"Doesn't matter," Tom replied with genuine sadness and regret in his voice. "I betrayed Victoria and I love her dearly. If she'll give me a second chance, I'll never look back and I'll never look at another woman besides her."_

"Well, dear brother," Jim looked upwards as he thought on his long deceased brother. "I guess you know now you have another son, a rather brave, stubborn and-from what I hear- full of more guts than anyone I know. I know I can't judge you for not looking back after Victoria consented to take you back; you were terrified of losing your wife and family. However," Jim shook his head and stepped away from the corral. "From what Jarrod writes, you sure missed out on a lot by not checking to see the results of your actions." Jim turned and headed back towards his house.

Upon entering his home, Jim looked first to a desk near the window. A young fair skinned, dishwater blonde young woman sat behind it as she read a book. Jim's eyes then turned towards the sofa that sat in his living room. A red headed boy, who had just turned ten years old, sat on the couch reading a book. Jim sighed as he wondered how justified he'd been in writing only about the horses he wanted Nick to look at; he might as well have admitted he wanted to meet Heath. Though, he wondered what they'd think if they knew the other reason he'd asked both Nick and Heath to come to Abbottsville. Most of all, he wondered if he was wasting everyone's time.


	3. Various Thoughts

Chapter Three

As Jim Barkley's ranch and home-which lay a mile away from where Nick and Heath and their horses were- came into sight. Nick couldn't help but smile at all the memories had of him and his family visiting his Uncle Jim. Everything from Christmas parties to summer dances that his uncle had been kind enough to host. He began telling Heath about some of the visits. However, Heath who saw the faraway look in Nick's eyes as the man talked, sighed. The home before his eyes might not be as magnificent as the home he now lived in; however, it was still a rather impressive two story home. He'd definitely never seen anything close to either home while he was growing up in Strawberry.

 _"A bastard like you don't deserve to live in such a fine place!"_ Heath could hear the words spoken by one of the ranch hands, who were still harassing him whenever they got the chance, repeating themselves in his head. The words themselves wouldn't have bothered him as he'd heard worse through the years. No, it was the fact that they happened to be the same exact words his Aunt Martha had spoke to him more than once…and she'd been talking about the small two bedroom home he and his mother shared with Hannah and his Aunt Rachel.

"Heath?" Nick again asked as he quit talking when he realized Heath wasn't really listening. It only cemented in the fact that something was bothering Heath.

"Huh?" Heath snapped out of his thoughts and, more than embarrassed at being caught not listening.

"What on earth is bothering you? You haven't been listening to a word I said!" Nick turned his head and asked.

"I heard part of what you said," Heath said defensively, and then sighed as he shrugged his shoulders. "Just living with memories is all."

While he had thought about Heath's past before, Nick had never really dwelt on it. Only, now he found himself doing just that. It couldn't have been easy for Heath's mother to raise him even with the help of the woman named Hannah and the Aunt Rachel Heath had mentioned once. Nick knew, from a sparse comment here and there, how poor Heath's mother had been. He couldn't help but wonder if Heath should've said 'haunted by' instead of 'living with. Then, trying to lighten the somewhat depressed mood that had fallen upon them, Nick said, "Well, stop looking so forlorn. Uncle Jim is very friendly and wants to meet you before we go with him to look at the horse his thinking of buying. The men who work for him are the best, wish we had some of them at our place." Nick said as they crossed a short wooden bridge that connected one side of a small gulley to the other side…the side that was the south side of Jim Barkley's ranch.

A friendly uncle; how nice it would have been to have one of those while he was growing up. Heath inwardly sighed. His Uncle Matt had never hit him or yelled at him, but he'd never stood up for Heath either. When his Aunt Martha would start yelling at Heath, or slapping him, Matt would simply tell her she should be nicer to the boy and then leave the room. Heath knew it was so the man could start drinking without listening to Martha gripe. Of course, Heath's Aunt Martha didn't listen, and Matt stayed out of the room until Heath was no longer around. "I'll take your word on it." Heath said, though he couldn't help but wonder just how right, or wrong, Nick was when it came to his uncle's hired help. Heath knew from experience that what men did in front of their boss wasn't always what they did behind the man's back.

Jim, who was standing near the window in his living room, saw the two men round the bend in the road and come into view. It was all he could do to remain standing. Even from a mile away, he knew his nephew, Nick Barkley. The man had quite the persona about him and stuck out. Though, when his eyes moved to the blonde that rode alongside him, Jim felt shock waves go through him. Again, even with a mile separating them, he could tell Heath Thomson was almost the spitting image of the late Tom Barkley before he and Victoria married. A part of the first letter Jarrod had sent to Jim came back to him.

 _I am sure if I had not been in such denial when Nick first dragged Heath into the living room that first night he was here, I know I would have realized who his father was. He is a good man, though I dare say he's a hundred times more stubborn at times. I can only surmise it has to do a lot with having to stand his ground and prove himself more than once during his life.  
_  
Jim couldn't help but allow a small frown to appear in his eyes, even for a moment. He could very well imagine all that Heath had been through growing up. After all, society did not look upon illegitimate children with compassion, as if they were to blame for their parent's irresponsible choices and actions. His mind then turned another part of the same letter.

 _Heath stood with us at Sample's farm, but as a result his leg was badly injured. I won't go into all the details here, only the end result was more than tragic. In order to save our new brother's life, the doctor had no choice but to amputate the lower half of Heath's right leg. Still, do you believe; that man was back to work once he got a prosthetic leg and had worked most of one night to learn to re-walk? No, he can't wrestle a cow to the ground during branding season, or any other time for that matter. However, he roped them so others could wrestle them to the ground and brand them or he would handle the branding iron. When it comes to the rest of the work on the ranch, he can do everything but break a horse in. Actually, McColl and he thought it might be possible, but both admitted it would_ _ **not**_ _be the wisest thing to attempt. That's been extremely hard on Heath. If it weren't for the horses he could tame simply by talking to them, he has an amazing talent for gentling a horse without climbing onto their back and breaking them in that way, I don't know that he would have handled watching the wrangler, or Nick break the rest of the horses in. As it is, he seems to disappear right after supper on those nights.  
_  
As Nick and Heath drew near the house, Jim once again glanced at the two new residents of his home. He then took a deep breath and headed for the front door.


	4. Information and Introductions

A/N I know Jim Barkley's wife was not name Caroline only, for this story, it is.

Chapter Four

Nick and Heath stood in Jim Barkley's living room looking at the two new residents of Jim's home. The young woman was looking at them and smiling politely, but her eyes held the look of someone who had been on the defensive far too long. On the other hand, the young boy didn't even attempt to look up or smile. He simply kept his head down and in the book he was reading. Nick and Heath could hear some of Jim's words ringing in their ears.

 _"There's been two additions to my household. You need to be told about them before we go inside." Jim looked at his nephews._

 _Need to? Nick and Heath glanced at each other, wondering what was coming. "So, tell us more." Nick folded his arms and waited._

 _"If you'll remember, Nick, your late Aunt Caroline had a younger sister, Patience." Jim stood on the steps leading up to the porch of his home. "When the Civil War broke out, we lost contact with her. Her husband, he," Jim sighed and shook his head, "from what Patience said, had joined the Confederate army. My sister-in-law wrote and said how it tore her world apart because she didn't agree with the decision, only she refused to leave him; said she was still his wife no matter what."_

"He was killed in the war; I remember my parents writing and telling me about that." Nick paused and, with a bit of shock in his voice, admitted he'd never been told the man was fighting for the south.

 _"Yes, we learned that after the war was over." Jim put his hands in his pockets. He still couldn't believe what he'd learned from his niece once she and the boy she introduced as her son had showed up on his doorsteps. Jim looked at Heath and Nick. "Because we lost contact with Patience, we didn't know that Caroline's sister died towards the end of the war also, shortly after her husband was killed. We were told only one of her children; her oldest, a daughter named Ruth survived the war. We tried to find her; Ruth that is, but never could."  
_  
 _Nick and Heath look at Jim with questioning eyes. "One of the new additions is the oldest daughter?" Nick asked while Heath was asking the same thing silently to himself._

 _Jim nodded. "She says a friend talked her parents into taking her in, but that only lasted a couple of years." Jim straightened up and, throwing his shoulders back, snapped, "The father had a terrible temper and drank; his wife wasn't much better. One day the man was so drunk, he beat Ruth up rather badly. After that happened, Ruth says that, out of desperation, she got up in the middle of the night with just the clothes on her back, along with one coat heavy coat." The anger Jim felt towards any man that would do such a thing came out in his voice as he talked.  
_  
 _All three men were sickened at the thought, all three wanted to find the man and beat him senseless. Finally it was Nick that broke the silence. "How did she survive? Why didn't she come here sooner?"_

 _"My brother in law and I had words the last time he was here." Jim sighed as he leaned against one of the pillars that stood along the edge of the porch. "Apparently he made it loud and clear that the family would get no help from me if they needed it; he was wrong, but he still made it clear as crystal to his family." He sighed. "Ruth says she married at a mere thirteen years old; married a man who made her think he loved her and would take care of her. Only, when she turned fifteen, the bum deserted her. She had a time of it providing for Timothy and finally decided, in spite of what her father had said to her family, to take a chance. She's been trying to work her way out here for the past few years. Just one thing after another got in her way. And, apparently, the few times she tried to write me, the money she had to pay for paper or wires would, somehow, wind up stolen or lost." He shook his head. "After that, she stuck to simply doing her best to keep her and Timothy alive, allowing others to think it she had been made a widow by the war. It wasn't hard to do since, from what she says; Timothy never knew his father and talks very little. Since they've come here, I've yet to hear the boy speak more than a dozen words, though she says he talks with whole sentences when it's just the two of them-even if he keeps it to just one sentence." He then went on to say how his niece had said she wished she hadn't felt it necessary to allow others to believe her ex-husband was dead, but many people looked down on anyone who was divorced._

"So," Heath, who had been watching Jim Barkley ever since the man had stepped out onto the porch and knew there, was something the man wasn't saying. "What else is there? What other reason made it so you wanted us down here?"

Heath and Nick looked at the young boy sitting on the couch with his nose in a book. Their hearts went out to the child as they saw the condition of his left leg; it was twisted quite badly and a crutch leaned against the couch next to him. Jim had explained that Timothy had broken his leg when he was five and that, lacking the money to get him proper medical care, the leg had healed crooked. Their uncle was right. There might not be anything Heath could do to fix the leg itself; but, maybe, he could still be of help to the boy…as the boy seemed to think having a bad leg meant he couldn't do anything of real value.

"This is Ruth Duncan, the niece I was telling you about." Jim gestured towards Ruth, who continued to smile politely, but still looked rather uneasy, and this," he pointed towards the young boy, "Is her son, Timothy."

"Nice to meet you," Ruth spoke up as her eyes turned to the young boy. "Timothy,"

The young boy looked up with a look of trepidation in his eyes; it made Nick and Heath wondering if Jim was right, and what the two were hiding. "Hi," the young boy said-to appease Ruth and her uncle.

"Same here," Nick and Heath both smiled back at Ruth before Jim offered to show them to their rooms, though both brothers took a glance towards Ruth. She sure was beautiful.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Timothy stood near his bedroom window and looked out; he could see Nick, Heath and Jim Barkley standing near the corral fence. He remembered how this Nick and Heath Barkley had spoken kindly to him and what a good feeling he got from them. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if it was all an act. Only when Ruth walked up next to him and joined him at the window, did he turn his eyes away from the men. "Do you think they can be trusted?" he asked.

Ruth sighed. She'd been so young when her father had joined the Confederate army, even though he was from the north. While she remembered very little of his words concerning his brother in law, or any of the Barkley family, she definitely remembered her father saying Jim was rather selfish and hard-nosed. He'd said Jim's family were all that way. From the little she'd seen, Jim Barkley didn't seem like the kind of person her father had made him out to be; still, she'd been wrong about people before. It had almost cost her Timothy once. "I don't know. Perhaps, though the more important question is…do we want to chance that right now? If you do, I'll sit down with Uncle Jim and tell him everything I've left unsaid and correct assumptions he's made because I said nothing when we first got here. I mean, I'll tell him every little detail of our story. Or, if you don't, we'll continue as we are. However, we can't leave here. It's like I said, there is no other place for us to live. All we can do is pray what I was told as a child will, eventually, prove to indeed be dreadfully wrong."

Timothy's eyes widened, and he threw his arms around Ruth. "Would they separate us?"

Ruth sighed. "That all depends on if what I heard as a child is correct. That is, if Uncle Jim is indeed as two faced as he was supposed to have been. If he isn't, no, I can't see him trying anything. After all, I'm adult. If he," She sighed as she looked lovingly upon Timothy, "If he is indeed the kind of man father made him out to be, he'd still pull something. If that's the case, I can't see things staying the same." At that moment, she wished like crazy she would know within a short period of time whether or not the Barkleys could be trusted or not.

Timothy let every memory he had replay itself in front of his eyes. Every single one of the memories held Ruth in them. He remembered how she'd done everything she could to make sure he never went hungry…even when it meant skipping a meal herself. He remembered the few times he'd been sick and how she'd stayed up all night with him. He remembered all the good times too, and all the laughs they'd shared. "Don't tell them if you don't have to, please. I don't want take the chance that things wil change." He then fell silent. He never had been one to talk much and, at that moment, he felt like he might as well have talked all day.

Ruth gave him a small smile as she held onto him. He was her world. How could he not be when she'd been taking care of him since the day he was born, most of the time by herself? Still, she was growing tired of the game they played. For the first time in many years, she prayed her father had been wrong. She prayed that her Uncle Jim and, from what she saw now, his nephews would prove to be trustworthy.

 **~oOo~**

Jim looked at Heath and Nick; the three of them had once again been discussing young Timothy. "Heath, I know you and the boy don't have the same exact problem." Jim said as he let out a long drawn out sigh. "But you have had to make adjustments in order to continue making your way in life; that is, in the manner you want. Like I said, Timothy has barely said more than a handful of words since he and his mother appeared on my doorstep, but he's said enough to know that he highly doubts he can do anything really worth while, even when I've heard Ruth tell him different."

Heath and Nick looked at each other. They understood Jim's concern for the young boy and what he was thinking. They also wondered just how much Heath would be able to help the young child. After all, the two of them were only going to be in Abbottsville for a week.

Heath shrugged his shoulders. "I'll be happy to do what I can, but I don't know that I can do or say anything in a week's time that will make any real difference. I mean, it takes longer than a week to break through one's wall."

"Tell me about it," Nick said without thinking. The moment the words were out of his mouth, Nick was kicking himself, as he saw Heath stiffen ever so slightly. "Well, from what you say, you have more than a couple of horses for me to look at." He threw Jim a smile, doing his best not to look at Heath-fearing that he, Nick, would say something else that would add another brick to the wall that still seemed to partial exist between them. "I don't see a problem."

"Like I said, I'll do what I can." Heath said as he turned around and went back inside.

Jim, who had also seen Heath's reaction to Nick's words, and felt the tension afterwards, looked at Nick. "Thought Jarrod wrote the two of you were getting along?"

Nick sighed. "We are…to a degree. It's just that, try as I might, I can't get really get past that wall of his. If Timothy is as bad as Heath is when it comes to not talking, I don't see what good Heath will be able to do."

In the little time Nick had been in his home, Jim had sensed something was off-one of being he wasn't so loud. A thought came into his head, and Jim found himself saying it out loud. "Is there a chance you're trying too hard? Have you tried simply being yourself?" He turned and walked away before Nick could answer, leaving the dark haired rancher to think on his uncle's comments.


	6. You Can Do It and Musings

Chapter Six

Heath, who had talked with his brother before Nick and Jim had gone to look at horses, hammered yet another nail into the fence that stood in Jim Barkley's backyard. Heath was fixing the fence for his uncle. The white picket fence surrounded the home; front, sides and the back. There were also two gates, one in front of the house and one in back of it. Heath caught the sight of Timothy standing on the back porch watching him.

"How about coming and helping me?" Heath straightened up and looked at the young boy. If Jim Barkley wanted Heath to befriend the boy, there was no time like the present to do it.

Timothy hesitated. What on earth could he do? Only when Heath beckoned to him again did the young boy make his way off the porch and over to the fence. He made his doubts loud and clear…even if he said only one word. "What?" Since the boy was fully aware that his eyes held a look in that added the words 'there's nothing I can do for you', he saw no reason to say anymore out loud.

Heath couldn't help but wonder if Ruth, with all good intentions, had coddled the young boy just a tad too much. He pointed to a small slat of wood that lay near Timothy's feet. "Hand me that board, please." Heath said, as he picked up another nail off the tree stump where the nails lay.

Again, hesitantly, Timothy took a few steps, using his crutch. Bending over, he picked up the wood and, turning around, managed to carry the wood a few steps and handed it to Heath.

"Thanks," Heath said as he put slat of wood into place and began hammering the nail in. Heath then asked Timothy to move the boards closer to the tree stump where the nails were. In all reality, the boards were close enough, but Heath knew having the boy move them was one way to get Timothy involved in the job. He then asked the boy what he thought of California.

Timothy, whose first impulse was to disappear into the house, decided against it. His mother would only ask why he had come back in and, when she found out, she'd insist that he go back and help Mr. Barkley. However, that didn't mean he had to give long answers to the man's questions, or answer them verbally. Picking up a board, Timothy simply shrugged his shoulders after Heath looked at him for an answer. 'And Nick thinks I'm quiet' Heath couldn't help but think as he continued working on the fence.

From where she stood in the washroom, Jim's niece watched as Timothy made his way off the porch and over to Heath. She then watched in amazement as Heath succeeded in getting Timothy to start helping him. She could tell that Heath hadn't had to do a lot of persuading, and that amazed her even more. Ever since Timothy was born he'd been a quiet one. The accident that had crippled his leg hadn't helped any. She continued watching Heath and Timothy for a good fifteen minutes. She was astounded to see Timothy finish one job, only for Heath to turn around and find him another one. Then, like Heath, she began wondering if she had, unconsciously, been sabotaging her own efforts to get Timothy to see he had the possibility of being more than a 'poor cripple' all his life. Her mind turned back to the day Timothy had been hurt. While she had not lied to her uncle when she said Timothy had taken a bad fall, she hadn't told her uncle just took place seconds before that bad fall, or what had caused the fall.

 _"I thought that was you I saw in town!" Mr. Horace Lee-her friend's father-stood on back of the small one room cabin she and Timothy were living in; he'd seen her and followed her from a distance. "I don't care that you left, but you stole money from me when you did and I'm making sure you pay!"_

" _I never stole from you!" she shocked the man by reaching in the open door and pulling a rifle away from the wall. "I took what money I earned and left! Now get away from Timothy and from me!"_

 _Mr. Lee took a step forward only to find a bullet whizzing though his ear. "I told you to leave!" she wasted no time in getting ready to shoot again. Mr. Lee, who had grabbed his ear, cursed, turned and left…but not before literally grabbing Timothy and throwing him off the porch. Needing to hurry and tend to the young child, all she could do was watch as Mr. Lee disappeared out of sight. Not knowing a thing about setting broken bones, not having very much money on her and fearing Mr. Lee was going for the law with his lies, she'd grabbed Timothy, along with a few items out of the cabin, and then fled on the only horse they owned._

She turned away from the window and looked around. "Uncle Jim and his nephews seem nice enough." She said only to herself. "If only I knew for sure…" she sighed as her voice trailed off and she went back to folding some of her uncle's shirts. 'If only's' weren't going to help her or Timothy. No, the only choice she was convinced the two of them had at the moment was to behave themselves while she learned to sew good enough to set up a dress shop and continue teaching Timothy at home. Not that she liked that, she didn't. She'd rather be at teacher and have Timothy is school, but people looked into a teacher's past. They wanted more information on the women they hired to teach their children, and she couldn't give them what they needed. That is, not without giving away the secrets she and Timothy were keeping from everyone. No, she would do what she needed to when it came to the dress shop and provide for Timothy that way. Though, she did promise herself to start making sure she wasn't handing Timothy any excuse not to believe in his abilities.


	7. Not too Young and I Did it Mama

Family Ties

Chapter Seven

Ruth had finished with her uncle's shirts, and had moved to the kitchen. There she was once again watching Heath and Timothy. She couldn't help smile and sigh both at the same time when she saw the young ten year old boy working alongside Heath Barkley. She remembered the day Timothy was born. He'd been born a month early and wasn't supposed to live, wouldn't have lived if it had been left up to the doctor. The "good" man had turned his back on Timothy saying that he, the doctor, had better things to do than fight to save a child already doomed to die. It had angered Ruth and a young woman who had been a faithful friend at the time. Together, they'd fought to keep Timothy alive in spite of it all. She remembered the first day he walked and the first word he said. Then her mind wandered to another memory…and she shook her head.

 _"Where will you go?" Elizabeth Johnson, a young friend of Ruth's, asked as she helped pack Timothy's bag while Ruth threw some of her things into a bag._

 _"I don't know." Ruth looked around the room she had shared with Timothy. "But, I know this much. I'm not stayin' here another minute, and no one can tell me different. And don't you stand there and try to tell me different."_

 _"But iff'n yer husband comes back," Elizabeth asked with fear in her eyes as she switched subjects mid-sentence, "and yer talkin' 'bout goin' north, Civil War's not been over that long. Your speech will tell them yer from the south, and nobody will help ya. Besides, yer only…" Elizabeth started to argue only to have Ruth stop her.  
_  
 _"First off, he's my ex-husband, and he's a no good liar and cheat. How many times has he run off now? How many times since we got together has he left me ta fend fer me and Timothy by myself?" She looked at her friend as if to say 'do you really dare answer that?' She then continued talking. "Don't worry about him and; secondly, don't tell me how old I am! I already know that! What difference does that make? I can name you a thousand young women ma' age raisin' youngin's. As fer as ma' speech goes, how many accents can I do? Mama always said it was a talent I had; I'll just use it." She wasn't about to admit she had been desperate enough to get into the money she'd been saving, gone to the court clerk, who was said to be more than to do one a favor if they had enough money, and gotten the man to push the divorce through for her. How he did it was something she didn't ask, as he handed her the papers validating the fact she was now legally free from the man she'd married. Only now, with rumors that that same man was back in the area, she had to flee…she was tired of his coming and going. She was tired of all the stories of his adventures and she was definitely not going to stand by and watch him get drunk so he could tell her about all the different women he'd met. "Don't ask me where I'm goin' exactly..." She did her best to smile at her friend, "that way ya can honestly tell folks ya have no idea!"  
_  
Ruth sighed again as she turned away from the window and walked over to the counter. Over time her speech had changed, not that she'd purposely tried to make it change, it just had. And, she'd seen many places and met various people. Now, she couldn't help but sigh. Ruth was tired of all the constant moving and not having anyone to really laugh with, visit and go to parties or other events with. Most of all, she was tired of feeling like the only family ties she and Timothy had was the one between the two of them.

Ruth shook herself out of her thoughts. They weren't helping anything, and there was lunch to fix. Heath Barkley and Timothy would be coming in for lunch soon. She needed to get to it and stop wasting her time.

~oOo~

"I moved the whole pile by myself, mama!" Timothy sat down at the table just as Ruth was setting the food she'd prepared on the table. He went on to tell Ruth everything he and Heath had done.

Heath couldn't help but smile one of his rare huge smiles. The boy hadn't said more than a two words at a time while they were working outside, and he'd just spoken in a complete sentence like he, Heath, had been told the boy had done for Jim and Ruth. "Yes, we did. Your son is a hard worker, Mrs. Duncan." Since his uncle had told him about the divorce, Heath wasn't too surprised when the woman literally cringed.

"The name is Ruth, or Ruth Randall, haven't gone by Duncan since I divorced my husband." She said as she handed him his plate and then turned back to the stove. Her uncle and Nick would be home soon and would need to be fed as well. "I've told Timothy for a long time he was more than capable of doing such things."

Heath then began talking to Timothy again, asking about his likes, dislikes and other small things. He didn't know what to think as the boy went back to being as quiet as could be, giving only one or two word answers. However, as he began looking from Timothy to Ruth, Heath realized that Ruth-whether intentionally or unintentionally, would cringe slightly or actually seem to be holding her breath every time he, Heath, asked a question. He also realized the boy was keeping one eye on her and the other on him. It only made him wonder even more just what Ruth and Timothy had been through, and what they were afraid of. However, he didn't press the issue at the moment. Why should he? After all, Ruth barely knew him or any of the Barkleys. There was only one thing to do…convince Nick they needed to stay longer than they'd originally planned.


	8. What and He's Got Problems too

Chapter Eight

"You want to do what!" Nick bellowed as he stood in his uncle's barn. Heath had just told him what he wanted the two of them to do. For a split second Nick had thought about what he'd been doing in trying to help Heath feel part of the family by forcing himself not to speak so loud, or jumping down the young man's throat. However, he'd started thinking about what his uncle had asked him and how he, himself, had been feeling since putting on what might as well be a mask. Jim Barkley was right. Nick had to be himself. "Are you crazy? What about our ranch? What about the work that is waiting there for us! It's a working ranch and it ain't going to work itself either!"

Heath couldn't help but grin slightly; he had wondered what it would take for this exact thing to happen; for Nick to start treating him like the rest of the family. Not knowing about the conversation Nick had had with Jim, Heath figured it was simply 'neglecting' the ranch that had done it. "It doesn't have too." Heath moved away from the stall he stood next to. "There's nothing major going on at the moment. McColl and the other men can handle what jobs there are. And, if something comes up, Jarrod can always send for us. I tell you, there's something not right when it comes to Ruth and her son, Timothy. I just want to be able to find out what it is and help them if I can."

"And the fact that she's rather beautiful has nothing to do with it, right?" Nick asked, not about to admit he'd also been trying to think of an excuse to come back to Abbottsville the first minute he got the chance.

"No more than it would have if she lived in Stockton and opened an antique store in middle of town." Heath joked as he thought on how Nick had practically tripped over himself prior to the trip trying to meet the pretty new store owner.

"I was only helping that gal carry some crates into the storeroom!" Nick snapped; he wasn't about to admit he'd been interested until the woman's husband and two children had stepped out of the store's back room. His reaction made Heath inwardly laugh.

"Look," Heath grew serious. "I just want to help see what I can do to help Timothy out, though would it hurt to show his mother we're friends not enemies?" Heath, who knew that when it came to Ruth, he had no serious interest except to help her, asked. "Let's just stay one extra week; I'm sure things will be fine back at home. We'll simply wire the family and let them know we've been delayed." He kept his eyes on Nick.

"I've got nothing against being their friends, but why should that require us to extend our stay? Why not just invite Jim to bring them to Stockton for a bit?" Nick asked.

"We could do that too, but what would it hurt for us to stay a bit longer also?" Heath asked as he headed for the barn doors. The debate between the two brothers continued as they walked out of the barn. However, by the time the two brothers reached the house Nick had agreed to extend their stay. Of course, it helped that he, unlike Heath, started planning on finding time to find out more about Ruth.

 **~oOo~**

While Heath was talking to Nick about staying in Abbottsville, Timothy was talking to Ruth. He had surprised her by walking into her bedroom, the door was wide open and she was changing the sheets on the bed. He had told her he was going to finish reading another book; he was the biggest book worm she knew.

"Something wrong?" She asked as she slid one of her pillows into its pillow case; the boy had a confused upon his face, and it worried her.

"Heath Barkley has problems with his right leg." Timothy looked at Ruth who about dropped the pillow in her hands.

"Did he tell you that?" She asked, though she did not doubt him. How could she when she'd watched the way Heath Barkley walked. No, he didn't limp or pull his leg around the way Timothy did, but there was something just a tad different about it. She'd wondered about it, but people who were doing their best to be good, even if they did have a couple of secrets, didn't nose into someone else's affairs. She was amazed when Timothy answered in more than once sentence.

"No," Timothy climbed up on a chair that set against the side of the door way. "But, while we were working on the fence, he showed me how to help without letting my bad leg get in the way of things. Later, I was watching him work and," he said as he shrugged his shoulders, "he does the practically the same thing."

Ruth, who had in all honesty, seen a genuine look of compassion in Heath's eyes when he first entered her uncle's home, realized she'd mistaken the look for pity. She had inwardly bristled at the time. Now, she couldn't help but think maybe what she'd seen in Heath's eyes wasn't even close to pity. Maybe, just maybe, what she'd actually seen was genuine empathy. It shook her to the core, as she'd spent so many years dealing with just the opposite emotions from those around her and Timothy that she'd almost forgotten such things as genuine sympathy and sincere empathy even existed. "Then I'd say there's a good chance he knows exactly how you feel, but don't go asking him about his leg." Ruth shot him a stern look. "Even if you're right, it wouldn't be polite."

"Yes, mama," Timothy slid off the chair and headed for the doorway only to stop and turn around.

"What is it?" Ruth asked as she saw the wheels in the young boy's eyes turning.

"Mister Heath and his brother are nice. Before Mister Nick left he fixed my toy pistol for me." Timothy turned back around and walked out the door.

Before she had half a chance to think about what Timothy had just said-in more words then he'd ever used before-Heath appeared in the door way. Not knowing if he'd heard everything Timothy had just said, Ruth found herself holding her breath, wondering why he was standing in her doorway instead of being with his brother and uncle.


	9. Fishing and Silent Ponderings

My apology...I posted Ch 10 under Ch 9 without realizing it.

Chapter Nine

"He got away!" Timothy, who had been pulling on his homemade fishing pole, he'd refused the one Jim had offered him simply telling him 'my mother made it for me', cried out when the fish on the other end managed to wiggle free of the hook and swam away.

Heath had asked Ruth if he could take Timothy fishing. She had hesitated and then began to tell him okay only to have Timothy, who had overheard, ask if she could go with them. Ruth had again hesitated, but Timothy had actually started pleading with her to go. Heath, who feared Timothy would back out of going, told her she was welcome. She had finally consented, but only after making it crystal clear she was only going for Timothy's sake.

"Don't worry." A crooked smile appeared on Heath's face as he handed Timothy another worm. "We'll just keep on tryin'."

Ruth sat on a small log near the edge of a clearing that lay roughly four hundred yards from the back of Jim's home, watching Heath and Timothy fishing. She was pleasantly surprised to hear Timothy and Heath engaging in an actual conversation. Though, it concerned her too. She didn't want Timothy hurt and, while it appeared Heath and Nick were trustworthy, she still held onto the fear that they, along with her uncle, might just be putting on an act. Heavens knows her ex husband had had that part, putting on an act down, pat when they first met and then married. She hadn't been married but a few weeks before her ex-husband began showing his true colors. Would she ever find someone she knew without a shadow of a doubt could be trusted, someone who could successfully show her others could be trusted as well? She was shocked as a memory from long ago flashed across her mind…one of a dark haired, hazel eyed young soldier who had been wounded lying in a hidden make shift hospital, a "hospital" hidden in the basement of an old Tennessee church. 'What a strange thing to remember at this moment. What has it got to do with my question?' Ruth silently wondered.

"Ruth?" Heath's voice brought Ruth out of her thoughts and she turned her head to look at Heath; he and Timothy were standing in front of her with five nice sized fish connected to a string on Timothy's pole.

"Sorry, I let my mind get sidetracked." Ruth apologized as Heath and Timothy set the fish down beside the fire pit Heath had made once they got to the clearing. "Let me help you with those fish." She stood up and held out her hands. Soon she, Heath and Timothy were cleaning the fish.

While she and Timothy cleaned their fish, they did their best not to look at Heath's right leg, though it was hard not to as she thought on the way he walked. 'Curiosity killed the cat, and I'm not cat' Ruth chastised herself for allowing her mind to wander to a subject she had no business thinking about. She would have to talk to Timothy later too. However, they might as well have admitted their interest, as Heath had caught both their subtle glances now and then.

"It's not real." Heath sent shock waves through Ruth and Timothy both when he glanced at his right leg and then looked at them. "That is, half of it isn't. Doc had to amputate half of it to save my life."

"The war?" Ruth managed to ask, once she could find her voice while Timothy just stared.

Heath let out a small chuckle and shook his head. "No, but it might as well have been." He proceeded to give his new friends a short version of what had happened. "A part of me wanted to blame everyone but Nick for awhile, seeing how he backed me up from the start when it came to my leg. Only, if I'm to be honest, things only got bad because I took off and refused their help the first time around."

"Why did you do that? They're your brothers." Ruth figured if he had brought the subject up it was okay for her to ask questions.

"I knew that, but they hadn't truly accepted it." Heath, who saw additional surprise appear in her eyes, sighed. "We share the same father, but not the same mother. I wasn't raised on the ranch with them; I lived in Strawberry." He kept his eyes on Ruth to gauge her response.

"Life could not have been easy for you, world's not exactly accepting of children born into a situation like that." Ruth said without thinking, but did not apologize once the words were out of her mouth. They were the truth, even if she hadn't intended to speak so frankly.

"It wasn't, but mama did her best to provide for me anyway." Heath answered as he turned his eyes to the fish in his hands. "And, as I grew, I did what I could to ease her burden." He had to, even going to the mine as early as nine years old. Of course, that wasn't something he saw necessary to divulge at the time.

"Didn't you and your mama have anyone else to help you?" Timothy asked quietly, almost too quietly. However, Heath and Ruth still heard him.

Heath looked at Ruth, who was looking more than uncomfortable now. For a moment Heath wished his mother was alive. Even though the circumstances between the two women were different, he was sure Leah could have been a great comfort to Ruth about now. "We had my Aunt Rachel and Mama's good friend, Hannah. Sometimes, I called her aunt too, though there was no blood relation between her and us. They helped out where my own aunt and uncle refused to so much as let us in their door…unless it was their hotel door. Even then it was only to do our work and leave." Heath fought to keep the bitterness of out of his voice; these two didn't need to hear about his Uncle Matt and Aunt Martha at the moment.

"May I see it?" Timothy asked after a moment of silence.

See it? For a split second Heath wondered what Timothy was talking about only to realize the boy had changed the topic of conversation back to Heath's prosthetic leg.

Ruth realized it too and her eyes flew wide open. "Timothy!" She snapped ever so slightly. Was it bad enough the two of them had behaved the way they had…when it came to glancing at Heath's leg? Did they have to make it worse by actually asking to see it?

She needn't have worried as Heath began pulling up his pant leg. "No reason to hide it from you." Heath said as he threw a crooked grin towards Timothy and Ruth, and then lifted his pant leg to show them. He proceeded to explain how his new leg worked.

The rest of the afternoon the three enjoyed a pleasurable enough visit, though the end of the outing Heath was no closer to knowing just what Ruth and Timothy was hiding. Knowing Nick was interested in Ruth, Heath wondered if Nick could, somehow, get some information…without tripping over his two feet doing it.


	10. Telegram and Questions

My apology...to those who read "Chapter Nine"...I put this chapter in Ch 9's place without realizing it. I have put the right contents in Ch 9 now.

Chapter Ten

 **Previously:** _The rest of the afternoon the three enjoyed a pleasurable enough visit, though by the end of the outing Heath was no closer to knowing just what Ruth and Timothy was hiding. Knowing Nick was interested in Ruth, Heath wondered if Nick could, somehow, get some information…without tripping over his two feet doing it.  
_  
 **~oOo~**

Unbeknownst to Heath, while he was doing his best to be friendly with Timothy and Ruth, Nick was heading to the telegraph office. He would've been riding with Jim back to the ranch only an innocent comment Nick had overhead while he and Jim were looking at the horses Jim was interested in had stirred a long forgotten memory…one-like many- Nick had only wanted to forget after he'd returned home from the war. He might have missed the comment only the ranch hand who had made it wasn't but a few feet away from Nick. Now, with the memory in the front of his mind, Nick was getting an uncomfortable feeling that he knew at least one reason for Jim's niece's unease. Only, for his uncle's sake, Nick would check to make sure he was remembering correctly before he pushed the issue with Ruth.

"Why hello, Nick," the telegraph officer looked up from his desk. He'd heard Nick was in town and had hoped to see him, as he, his wife and Nick had been friends for a number of years. "Good to see you again. What can I do for you?"

Nick smiled at his friend. "Good to see you too, Curtis. I need to send a telegram to Tennessee." He wasn't surprised by the shocked look that appeared on Curtis' face. The two of them had often talked about the desire to forget the past and neither one of them had much dealing with the southern states because of it; even if they didn't hold any ill will against them.

"Anything wrong?" Curtis asked his curiosity peaked.

"Just checking to see if my memory's serving me correctly on something is all," Nick answered even as he fought the urge to simply go and demand Ruth verify the memory for him.

Knowing Nick as well as he did, Curtis figured Nick had made an impulsive bet with someone and was now hoping he was right so he wouldn't have to pay any money out to whoever he'd made the bet with. He handed Nick some paper and pencil to Nick, telling him to write his messages on the paper.

Nick thought for a moment, not wanting to write anything that would get Curtis' curiosity up enough for the man to actually act on it. After all, if Nick was right, he wanted Ruth to explain things first. Within a few minutes, the telegram had been sent and Nick was heading back to the ranch. He'd instructed Curtis to simply send any reply out to the ranch as soon as he got it…but to restrict its delivery to him only.

 **~oOo~**

"Know when Heath, Ruth and Timothy are going to be back?" Nick, who had been back at his uncle's ranch for a half hour, stood inside Jim's barn talking to his uncle's foreman, a forty-year-old, salt and peppered haired, cowboy by the name of Joe Stapleton.

"Should be back soon," Joe answered as he finished stacking some hay in the far left hand corner of the barn. "That brother of yours wanted to be back in time to help us with some branding we have to get done." He then went on to say how much he appreciated Heath's help that morning, and how impressed the other hands were when it came to Heath not allowing his prosthetic leg to stop him from working on a ranch…as they knew many men who would have simply given up.

"He's not just any other man." Nick smiled and then asked Joe if he, or any of Jim's hired hands, had been around when Ruth and Timothy arrived.

Not being the kind to repeat things, Joe hesitated. His hesitation didn't surprised Nick, but it also told him someone had been with Jim Barkley when his guests arrived. "Please, just answer my question." He assured the foreman.

"You think she's lying about who she is?" Joe asked, not liking that idea at all.

Nick, who had just finished looking through a small portion of Jim's family album, after having gotten his uncle's permission upon returning to the ranch, answered. "She's Patience's daughter." He, for once, chose his words carefully. "She's the spitting image of her mother at that age. Please, just tell me what you heard, or saw, when she and the boy got here. I," Nick decided to tell Joe just enough to satisfy the man's curiosity. "I'm just interested in her and want to make sure that, for once, I don't jump before I look."

Joe, who knew Nick well, stared in shock. The hot tempered rancher was looking at a pretty woman and **NOT** reacting first? Joe had to bite his tongue from teasing Nick, who had to hold in a chuckle of his own-due to the comical look that had appeared on Joe's face. Joe scratched the back of his head and leaned against the corral. "I don't know a whole lot, really," he said as he glanced towards the house and back at Nick, "I was in the living room talking to Jim when the knock on the door came. He opened it and stared at her and the boy, like he was seeing ghosts." Joe shrugged his shoulders and continued. "She said 'Uncle Jim?', and he practically whispered 'Ruth' then he practically shouted her name with joy and started talking a mile a minute as he showed her in. I didn't hear much after that. I couldn't; I had work to get back to."

Joe hadn't heard much…Nick, who was taking time to think for a change, asked, "What else did you hear?"

Joe chuckled inside. Nick really had to be interested in the woman if he was asking for as much information as he could get. Finally, he shrugged his shoulders. "As I headed out the door, Jim was talking about his brother-in-law and sister-in-law and all that he, Jim, had been told after that war. Ruth didn't say all that much really. Well, not that I heard anyway."

Nick thanked Joe and then bade him goodbye, saying he was going back into the house.

Joe broke in a grin once Nick had his back to him. 'It's about time someone came along that not only catches your eyes, but makes you stop and think for a change.' Joe then turned his attention to the work that was waiting for him.


	11. First Revelation

Chapter Eleven

Nick, who had been looking over some of his uncle's book work for Jim, looked out the window and saw Heath and Timothy painting the picket fence surrounding Jim Barkley's home. Ruth was sitting on the porch, once again patching some clothes-only this time it was clothes belonging to some of the ranch hands. Not wanting to go into town, the men had asked Ruth if they could pay her to mend their clothes for them. Nick sighed as he leaned back in the chair he was using and pulled out the telegram that had delivered to him roughly ten minutes before his brother and their new friends had returned.

Reading the telegram once more time, Nick was quite irritated at finding himself in quite this spot. Though he was more irritated to realize that at any other time he'd be plowing straight ahead and demanding answers not caring about the consequences, but not now. Now, for whatever reason existed, he had actually stopped to realize that if he simply plowed ahead and did as he'd done in the past, Jim's niece would most likely take Timothy and disappear. Silently Nick cursed and asked himself why on earth he cared. It was a question that he repeated to himself as he stood up and reminded himself that he, Heath and their Uncle Jim wanted to help Jim's niece…not chase her away. Soon he was standing on the porch looking at Jim's niece, who was wearing a beautiful turquoise dress, along with matching earrings and a necklace that her uncle had bought her the day before. She also had her hair hanging loose for a change; it hung clear to her waist. Nick silently swore again. The young woman was ten times more beautiful than even he had realized. It made it extremely difficult to keep his mind focused on the matter at hand.

Hearing the door open and hearing the sound of Nick's spurs hitting the porch, Ruth looked up. She was instantly on the defensive as she saw a look of a man torn in two in Nick's eyes. What on earth was the matter? "May I help you?" she asked cautiously.

Thinking on the telegram in his pocket, Nick nodded. "I was hoping we could go for a walk." If she bolted at the discussion he wished to have with him, Nick wanted a chance to catch her before she could grab Timothy and run. After all, no one could help her if she up and disappeared.

Ruth couldn't help but stare. What on earth did Nick want from her? Surely he wasn't interested in a woman who had another man's child to care for. Though, as she looked upon him dressed head to foot in his dark leather outfit, Ruth was shocked to realize she wouldn't mind it if he was interested in her. It was a thought she quickly pushed aside.

Nick, who could basically guess what she was thinking, smiled and said without thinking, "Would it make a difference if I told you I once studied for the ministry?"

Ruth couldn't help it; she busted up laughing and laughed hard. In between what her Uncle Jim had said; words that had been backed up by the things she'd heard Nick say to Joe, Ruth knew the words 'ministry' and 'Nick Barkley' didn't exactly go hand in hand. That is, not if one was talking about preachers, churches and congregations. "You're crazy." She answered as she laid down the mending and stood up.

Nick couldn't help but chuckle as he nodded in agreement. "I've been told that before. Well, not in those words, but the idea has always been the same."

Ruth turned and looked towards Timothy and Heath. "I can't just up and leave Timothy with Heath without asking if your brother minds watching the boy."

"Heath!" Nick bellowed, causing Ruth to take a step backwards and Heath, along with Timothy, to look his way. "Ruth and I are going for a walk. Do you think you and Timothy can find things to do while we're gone?"

Heath looked at Timothy-who was staring at his mother and Nick- and chuckled. He guessed Ruth hadn't had exactly seen a lot of men and it surprised Timothy. "We'll be fine!" Heath gave Timothy a lopsided grin as he answered Nick. "Won't we?" He asked the lad, who had quickly turned away from Ruth, embarrassed by his reaction.

"Sure we will," Timothy answered as he went back to painting.

"Come on," Nick looked at Ruth and then turned and headed for the steps that set off to the side of the porch. Before long, he and Ruth were walking around the house and down a path that led to a small creek that ran through Jim's back yard.

"What did you want?" Ruth, who knew just how loud Nick could be-she'd heard him with some of her uncle's ranch hands-felt more than uneasy as Nick was now quiet, too quiet. The fact that a troubled look was in his eyes didn't help the feeling any. Finally, Nick stopped a few feet from the creek and turned to face Ruth.

"I served in a few places during the war and saw a number of battles." He wasn't surprised when Ruth stiffened slightly. It's not like a woman would expect a man she barely knew to start talking about the war. "I was wounded once and found myself in a make shift hospital inside Tennessee; one hidden inside of a church, one that the Confederate armies didn't know existed. If they had, there would have been many northern soldiers die right then and there."

Ruth's heart skipped a beat as she remembered the days and months before her mother died. She remembered as a small girl helping her mother in a make shift hospital, and they weren't allowed to talk about it. "Why tell me this?" She forced herself to ask, as she kept her face forward, not daring to look Nick in the face-even as the memory she'd had while fishing with Heath and Timothy came back to her.

Nick kicked the dirt under his feet with the toe of his right boot as he put his hands on his hips. "I want to help you, we all do. But," He turned and, taking a deep breath, went ahead and said the one thing he knew would either get answers or make it so he had to start chasing the young woman before him. "None of us can do that unless you're totally honest with us…Anna Randall."


	12. Continuing Revelations

Chapter Twelve

 **Previously:** _Nick kicked the dirt under his feet with the toe of his right boot as he put his hands on his hips. "I want to help you, we all do. But," He turned and, taking a deep breath, went ahead and said the one thing he knew would either get answers or make it so he had to start chasing the young woman before him. "None of us can do that unless you're totally honest with us…Anna Randall."_

~oOo~

"My legal name is Ruth!" Ruth turned around and glared at Nick, barked even, as tears began running down her cheeks. "If you took the time to remember meeting me and, or my mother at that makeshift hospital, why not get all your facts straight!" She took a deep breath and continued talking. "Ruth is my middle name, not my first. My parents, for whatever reason, named my older sister Ruth Marie and then named me Anna Ruth. Why on earth give two of your children the same name, even if it's in a different spot, don't ask me." She then shrugged her shoulders and sighed as she turned away from Nick. "Reverend Richards," she said as she thought on the kindly preacher she and her mother had helped for a few months before her mother died, "he couldn't see the sense in it either and called me Anna."

"What's going on?" Nick asked again. "Why did you confirm you were your elder sister when Uncle Jim called you Ruth? Timothy calls you mama, but he isn't your son." Nick said as he did the math. "I mean, I remember you helping your mother in that makeshift hospital. I remember some of our talks. You would have only been ten or eleven at the time. And, the best I can figure, you would have only been eleven or twelve when he was born."

"I never confirmed or denied anything!" Ruth whirled back around and faced Nick, angrier than she'd been the first time. "When I got here, Uncle Jim never even gave me a chance to say anything. He opened the door and stared at me. The moment I asked if he was Uncle Jim, he was whispering Ruth and then yelling it. He hugged me and welcomed me into the house. He was talking right and left, all excited and everything. The fact that I have always look a good two or three years older than I am only served to strengthen his assumption." She sighed as she walked over to a medium sized boulder that sat near the bank of the creek and sat down, bending her head slightly and covering her face with her hands. "I didn't know he'd been given the wrong information when it came to which Ruth had survived the war." She sighed and lowered her hands, though her head remained bowed. "No, I didn't give birth to Timothy, but," she then raised her head, a look of absolute defiance in her eyes, and said, "but, as far as I'm concerned he is my son; well, he might as well be." She paused and then said, "I, along with the help of a good friend who was a few years older than me, fought to keep him alive after…" Ruth gulped and swallowed, "after my mother died giving birth to him." She took a deep breath, "I have raised him even if I was only twelve when he was born. I mean, even the short time we lived with the Lees it was me that took care of him! Mrs. Lee never lifted a finger to do a thing for him! Though, before you ask, he knows the truth. As he grew and asked questions, I gave him blunt, honest answers to any question he had. Maybe, at his age, I shouldn't have only I did." She then let out yet another sigh as her shoulders sagged a bit. "I didn't lie to Uncle Jim about the things Mr. Lee did. I just didn't mention the fact that Timothy was with me at the time, or the fact that it wasn't desperation for myself that I got married so young. I wanted a couple of things for Timothy, one thing being a good man for a father-which I thought my ex husband was." She took another deep breath and then asked quietly, "What are you going to do now?"  
 _  
'I wanted a couple of things for Timothy'_ rang in Nick's ears. Just what was the second thing her marriage would have given Timothy? Somehow, Nick knew the second item was even bigger than wanting Timothy to have a good father. He laid his hand upon her shoulder and answered kindly, "That all depends on why you've remained silent on which Ruth you are and why you've kept silent when it came to this other information. I mean, no one's going to separate you and your brother. Like you just said, you've been raising him from day one. Be stupid to take him away from you now. What else did you want? Just what are you afraid of?"

For a split second Ruth thought of excusing herself, of grabbing Timothy and running again, only she couldn't. She'd have had to be flat out blind not to see the genuine concern in Nick Barkley's eyes, as well as profoundly deaf not to hear the same concern in his voice. And, even if she had been blind and deaf, she hadn't lost her ability to feel…and he might as well have his arm wrapped around her shoulders, for the feeling of comfort and safety she felt at that moment. _"Jim Barkley can't be trusted, nor can anyone on that side of the family!"_ Her father's words rang in her ears. Only now, with Nick looking at her with genuine concern in his voice and the gentleness of his touch, Ruth found her heart racing as she once again remembered the lightning fast memory she'd had by the pond after asking if she'd ever find someone she knew she could absolutely trust…someone who could help her learn who to trust. Ruth began praying she wasn't being fooled as she had been with her ex husband. "If I tell you, are you going to repeat what I say?" She asked, keeping her eyes on Nick.

If he, Heath and Jim were to help Ruth and Timothy, Nick didn't see how he would be able to justify keeping quiet. He began wishing he'd never sent the telegraph. "How can any of us help you if we don't at least tell Heath and Uncle Jim? And you do need help. You started carrying this responsibility far too young." Nick answered, knowing the chances weren't very high of not telling his half brother and uncle anything.

Ruth stood up and walked a few feet away from Nick. She remembered how tired she'd been of playing the game, still was. "At least keep what I say between the family here?" she asked, her eyes pleading for him to agree to the request.

"No one in Abbottsville will be told." Nick assured her before restating the fact that he he, Jim and Heath only wanted to help.

Ruth let out a long drawn out sigh, turned around and began talking.


	13. Final Revelations

Chapter Thirteen

Jim Barkley sat on a chair that was against the south wall of his den while Nick sat at the edge of the small couch Jim had recently bought, and was placed against the west wall. Heath had, after Nick had pulled him aside and repeated everything Ruth had told him, taken Timothy into town to get some things for Uncle Jim. Ruth didn't want Timothy to have to sit and listen to the discussion that would be taking place, even if he already knew some of what would be discussed, a feeling shared by Nick and Heath. That is, Heath shared the feeling once Nick told him the true relation between Ruth and Timothy-and the fact that Nick had convinced Ruth to tell Uncle Jim everything.

Ruth, who was too nervous to sit, stood next to the couch and glanced at Nick. She could still see him flying off the handle and yelling 'WHAT' once he'd heard what she had to say. It had caused her to jump backwards; she'd even turned to run away only to have Nick grab her and quickly apologize. He wasn't angry at her; he was simply shocked at the revelations she had bought to light. He then asked her not to leave. Now, he simply gave her a smile and nodded his head slightly.

"I don't know where you got your information from Uncle Jim." Ruth, who was still reeling from the fact that a man she barely remembered, and barely knew now, had gotten her to open up and confess everything, spoke quietly. "But, I'm my parents' second to oldest daughter, Anna Ruth. My older sister, Ruth Marie, died of pneumonia back in eighteen sixty-three." She wasn't surprised when Jim's eyes widened and a small gasp escaped his lips.

"You've been here for three months!" Jim exclaimed, though there was no anger in his voice. "Why haven't you said something before now? And," he paused as he quickly did his math and then added in confusion, "You aren't old enough to be Timothy's mother."

"As I told Nick, I'm not. That is, not in the manner you speak." Ruth went on to say the same thing that she'd told Nick, Timothy was her brother by blood, but a son in her heart. She then continued on. "I know that you were told my mother died giving birth to her youngest child, which she did. However, even though there's a smaller grave by her side, the baby she bore did not die within a couple of weeks after his birth. And… desperation to provide for Timothy was only one of two reasons I had for coming here." Once again she saw shock waves roll over her uncle; he was completely stunned and was speechless as the meaning of her words took root.

"While I can see why he would refer to you as mother," Jim said once he found his voice, "or mama as he says, I think he has the right to know you're his sister. And, if you're afraid I'll take him from you, don't be. There's no reason to do that. However, I'd still like to know why you let me believe you were your sister and Timothy was your child. And, why on earth, did you let everyone believe he died shortly after birth?" Jim braced himself for whatever her answer might be…and it had to be huge for his niece to live the lie she'd been living for so many years.

Ruth clasped her hands together as she fought down an overwhelming feeling of fear…fear that might have still caused her to run only Nick kept his eyes on her, sending silent messages not to be afraid to continue. "Timothy knows I'm really his sister." Ruth sighed. "He has for a number of years now." She glanced at Nick, who again gave her encouragement by simply nodding as if to say 'go on', "I told him the first time we talked that, because I wasn't his actual mother, there were people who might separate us because I was under eighteen."

"And now?" Jim asked; the confusion he felt could be loud and clear. "If you're the second to oldest daughter, you're an adult now. Why the continued secrecy? What's the second reason for being here?"

"It…it's because of…" Ruth started to answer only to find herself stammering and fear getting such a strong hold of her that she couldn't the words out. Nick quickly stood up and once again laid his hand on her shoulder.

"Do you want me to tell him?" Nick asked, feeling more than sorry for the young woman. The only answer he received was Ruth nodding her head as she turned and walked over to the window.

"It's because of her Uncle Kyle, your brother-in-law's brother." Nick had to fight to keep the disgust towards a man he'd never met out of his voice as he looked at his Uncle Jim.

"Kyle?" Jim asked bewildered. "What on earth does a mild mannered man like him have anything to do with anything?"

 _"Mild mannered?"_ Nick raised his eyes and glanced over at Ruth, who was shaking her head ever so slightly. _"Everything my father said about Uncle Jim should have been said about his own brother."_ Ruth's words rang in his ears. "You haven't been around Kyle Randall for years. In all reality, he has two faces as it were; he's anything but mild mannered." Nick went onto to explain to Jim that Ruth's father had had quite the fortune accumulated before the war. "He only gave the south a portion of it. The rest he put in a bank-here in Nevada due to the instability of the area most of the war was fought in- with a few conditions on it. One, if he did not survive the war the money was to be split among his surviving sons. If, by some chance, none of his sons survived the war either, Kyle was to get all the money, but," Nick took a deep breath and said, "he could not claim it until ten years after the war officially ended. Your brother-in-law said that way, if 'my sons' could not claim the money right away, they would still get their inheritance'."

Ruth, who by this time had collected herself, turned away from the window and looked at her uncle. "I had my father and three brothers before the war broke out. Father was able to come home a couple of times. The last time he visited my mother did not tell him she was carrying another child. She figured he would be far too have worried about leaving her behind. The war was close to an end, and mother believed father needed to concentrate on staying alive. My father and my oldest brother were killed in action only a month later. My other two brothers, Paul and John," she said as her eyes looked as if they were filling with daggers, "came home during the war, wounded but not dead. That is, until they had 'accidental deaths' within months of each other. Both times, my uncle was in the vicinity. My mother couldn't prove it, but I heard her tell the sheriff she just knew my uncle was behind it all. After she died, I feared my uncle-if he was guilty-would do something to my baby brother. I was right too."

Ruth clenched her fists as she related how she'd walked in on her uncle- who claimed he'd come to watch over her and the baby- fixing some soup, said he was making it to help the baby grow stronger. "I had a bad feeling about it and refused to let him give any to the baby. He grew angry and said he was our only relative who cared and if I didn't appreciate his efforts to help he would leave. I'm sure he thought I was too young to suspect anything and feel obliged to accept his care. However, before he left, he threw the soup to our chickens." She took a deep breath and shocked Jim when she told him all the chickens were dead the next morning. "When I saw those dead chickens, I grabbed Timothy and ran to my friend's house. She was fifteen and-at the time-the best friend I had; she's the one who was helping me fight to keep him alive. She had me hide with Timothy in the barn loft. Then, with the help of her boyfriend, she dug a grave next to mama's and put a cross at the head of it—with the name of Charles on it. Uncle Kyle and every adult with the exception of her parents were furious when they learned, or so they thought, that my brother had died and they had not been told. But," she sighed, "Timothy and I were blessed with the fact they didn't disturb the grave either. To this day, I have no clue to what my friend or her boyfriend said to her parents afterwards to make it so they kept their mouths shut about my brother."

"Kyle didn't ask for you? The sheriff didn't know about your brother or the soup?" Jim looked at Ruth in disbelief.

"Sheriff was led to believe my baby brother had died the same as everyone else." Ruth answered. "Mr. Lee was stone drunk when the law showed up, and Mrs. Lee was deathly sick." Ruth shrugged her shoulders. "Sheriff told my friend that my uncle said he couldn't care for a twelve year old girl and if the Lees wanted to keep me they could. My friend didn't tell him I was up in the barn loft with my baby brother who was still fighting for his life; she simply said she'd give the message to her parents. The sheriff never heard my brother crying when he walked past the barn. Timothy's always been a quiet one, a real blessing at the time. I would still have to worry the Lees might spill the beans about Timothy, but Mr. Lee had a heart attack shortly after I got married and died; Mrs. Lee too passed away within a year of my marriage-she'd gotten deathly ill again, and didn't recover. My friend was married by that time and she and her husband took her siblings in. When it comes to the soup, I was twelve years old! All I was thinking about was keeping my brother alive! Besides, I didn't figure anyone would believe me."

"So, if you're right-and Kyle finds out the truth about your 'son'," Jim shook his head, "you're afraid Timothy will also have an accident, but you had to be in Nevada so you could, hopefully, find a way to get the money that belongs to Timothy…and Abbottsville and this ranch would be the last place he'd think to look for either of you.

"I know he will!" Ruth spat out. "It's the one thing I haven't told Timothy though." She sighed. "I don't want him to know I feel strongly his life would be in danger if the truth came out."

For a moment, no one said a thing. Then Nick spoke up. "Like I told you outside, Heath and I may not be your cousins, but that doesn't matter. We'll still be here for you."

"As will I," Jim smiled, stood up, walked over to Ruth and embraced his niece.

A/N

(May I say thank heavens for good friends-past and present?) ;)


	14. Two Talks

Chapter Fourteen

 _ **Previously:**_ _For a moment, no one said a thing. Then Nick spoke up. "Like I told you outside; Heath and I may not be your cousins, but that doesn't matter. We'll still be here for you."_

 _"As will I," Jim smiled, stood up and went to embrace his niece, promising her they'd find a way to get Timothy what was due him-without revealing the truth too soon. It was a promise Nick also made._

 **~oOo~**

Ruth sat on the porch of Jim's home, her feet resting on the top step that led up to the porch, watching Heath and Timothy fixing the last part of the fence. Only when she heard the front door open and Nick's spurs hitting the porch, did Ruth turn her eyes away from Timothy. She couldn't help but smile. Nick had been keeping a close watch or eye on her and Timothy ever since he found out the truth; then again, so had Heath and Jim. After all the years of running and hiding the truth, it felt wonderful to have someone to share the load with.

Nick sat down beside her and rested his elbows on his legs as his hands hung downward- even though what he really wanted to do was wrap his arm around Ruth. "Heath, Jim and I had a long talk last night." He turned his head and looked at Ruth.

Ruth, who had heard the men's voices through the study door, even if she couldn't make out what they were saying, wasn't surprised by his words. Though, she did find herself feeling a bit uneasy. Their talk had to have been centered on her and Timothy, or Nick wouldn't be sitting next to her now saying such a thing. "And?" She prompted when he said nothing more.

"If you'll go for it, I'd like to send a wire to Mother and let her know you and Timothy will be staying with us for awhile. If you are right, and we feel strongly that you are, none of us think it wise for you and Timothy to remain here. While it's been a number of years since Kyle Randall traveled to Abbottsville, he just might do it in the next few months."

"But the money is in a bank, Carson City's bank to be precise." Ruth said with a torn look in her eyes. "How are we supposed to get what rightfully belongs to my so…I mean, my brother if we go to California."

Nick lifted his right hand and laid it upon her shoulders. "It's okay for you to continue calling him your son for right now, might be safer for awhile. When it comes to that money, and your suspicions, our elder brother Jarrod is an attorney." Nick explained as he went on to tell her that Jarrod also had connections with the Pinkerton Agency. "I'm sure he can get them to do a quiet investigation into your uncle and his activities, now and over the years, without raising any eyebrows."

"It's not one's eyebrows I'm worried about. It's their loose tongues." Ruth turned up the palms of her hands and then said, "Wonder if glue would work on gossipy lips." The playful look that appeared in her eyes had Nick removing his hand and chuckling; it didn't take Ruth but a split second to join him.

Once the two stopped laughing, Ruth shook her head slightly and said, "I still can't believe you're that soldier I used to talk to so much. Guess I should have got your name back then instead of being such a chatterbox." And she had been a talkative one at the time. Then again, he'd been so easy to talk to, unlike many of the soldiers the good preacher had hidden.

Nick shrugged his shoulders and gave her a smile. "That chatter as you call it helped me more than I can say. Though, I agree, it was a shock to realize I had met you all those years ago." Then, without thinking, he laid his right hand over her left one. "You're not alone anymore." He then told her that he, Jim and Heath wanted to talk to her later, after supper, as they wanted to talk to her more about Stockton.

Ruth had an uneasy feeling wash over, not because she thought Nick was insincere in his words, or that he wouldn't turn on her or Timothy or thought the three men would suggest anything that would not be in her and Timothy's best interest. No, she realized the only reason she was all of a sudden feeling uneasy was because she was starting to have feelings for Nick Barkley…and she wasn't prepared for that.

 **~oOo~**

Timothy, who had glanced towards the porch a time or two, handed Heath another nail and said, "Mama likes your brother."

Heath turned his head and saw Nick sitting with his hand over Ruth's and then looked back at Timothy. He wasn't sure what to think about the look in the young child's eyes. Then again, maybe he did. "Someday she'll marry again. Whether she marries Nick, or someone else, is something I can't tell you." Heath gave Timothy a crooked smile. "But, she'll never stop loving you or taking care of you the best she can." Knowing Ruth was really Timothy's sister, Heath couldn't bring himself to refer to her as Timothy's mother…even if he did understand why no one was going to press the child to call her anything different.

"He's loud." Timothy handed Heath the last nail he had been holding.

Heath couldn't help but laugh just a little. Timothy might be talking more than he had when they had first arrived, but he still got straight to the point when he spoke. "Yes, he is." Heath said as he hammered the nail into place. "But he has a heart of gold. He'll do what he can for you and Ruth. I will too, as will Uncle Jim."

Once Timothy saw Heath was done with the fence, he asked Heath if there was anything else he could help him with. "No, but I heard Nick say he was going to do some things in the barn later. Why not go ask him if you can help?" Once again Timothy had Heath laughing as the boy walked away muttering that maybe he could find some clay to use as ear plugs first.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

"Thanks," Victoria took the flowers Silas had brought up to the guest bedroom from their faithful servant, before he turned around and left the room. Victoria walked over to one of two set of drawers that were in the room. Jarrod had brought home the mail, which included a telegram from Heath and Nick informing them they were bringing home a couple of guests; Jim's niece and a young boy. Though, thanks to the fact that neither Heath or Nick, along with Jim, wanted to chance Ruth and Timothy's true relation slipping out too son, Audra and Victoria were left thinking it was a mother and her son coming to stay with them. While Victoria and the rest of the family were curious about the guests, Victoria hadn't dwelt on the subject. Instead she'd wasted no time in asking Jarrod and Gene, who was home visiting for a few days, to fetch a smaller bed that the family kept in the attic. The two brothers had rearranged the furniture per Victoria's request. The guest bedroom now held two beds, a chair beside each, a small table between the beds, a chest of drawers for their clothes; one of the drawers sat by the window. By placing the dresser by the window, Jim's niece would be able to use the sun's refection to look in the mirror as she dressed. Victoria had wanted everything to be ready for their guests' arrival.

Victoria stood back and surveyed the work that had been done in the room, just as Audra stepped into the room carrying extra bedding in her arms. The young woman also looked around the room. Up to the year before the room had been the smallest room in the house, with another small room right next to it. Victoria had decided that it made more sense to knock out the wall between the two small rooms and make one large guest room. "It's a good thing we had this room remodeled last year." Audra told her mother.

"In this case, it might have been better the other way around. Although," Victoria smiled at her daughter and said, "I have no intention of making this room into two separate rooms again." She then thanked Audra for fetching the extra sheets and blankets.

"It was nothing." Audra started making the second bed and then wondered aloud about their guests. "Heath didn't say why Jim's niece and her son needed to come here. I hope everything is okay with Uncle Jim." The young woman didn't like the idea her that her uncle might be having serious problems.

"I wouldn't worry about your Uncle Jim. If he has any problems serious enough that he needs help, Nick and Heath would have said so. As for as his niece and her son goes," Victoria looked at Audra with a look of partial disbelief. "Is there something wrong with the woman and her young son coming here?" Victoria didn't look very pleased as she looked upon her daughter and asked the question.

"Oh no!" Audra exclaimed, horrified that her mother thought she, Audra, was thinking such things. "I will welcome them the same as I would my own cousins. I was simply curious is all."

Victoria smiled and admitted she was too, but then pointed out there was no use dwelling on such things at the moment. Afterwards, Victoria asked Audra to finish getting the room ready, while she went to talk with Silas.

 **~oOo~**

"Get your extra clothing out of the drawer." Ruth told Timothy, who was standing near his dresser. She was packing their bags as she and Timothy were going to be boarding the stagecoach with Nick and Heath that very afternoon.

"Why can't we just stay here?" Timothy asked as he did as he was told. "You said Uncle Jim can be trusted. Did you change your mind?" He didn't like that idea.

"No, I didn't." Ruth began folding his extra clothes and putting them into the suitcase their uncle had given her. "But, it's like I already told you. Nick and Heath Barkley have invited us to visit their ranch. We are going to meet their family while we're there and visit them." Not knowing about the money he was supposed to inherit, nor the danger his sister feared would come his way, or the fact that Heath and Nick had both promised to talk to Jarrod once they arrived home, Timothy was left to come up with his own conclusions. He turned and started walking out of the room, but not before sending shock waves through Ruth. "If Nick Barkley wants to court you, I could find you some clay ear plugs too."

Ruth would have hurried out of the room and given her "son" an earful only she hadn't taken more than two steps towards the door when Nick Barkley appeared in the doorway. The dark haired rancher was smiling from ear to ear. There was also a twinkle in his eyes, one that told Ruth the man just had to have heard what Timothy said. If she could have disappeared right then and then, she would have. "May I help you?" She managed to keep a straight face and ask the question in a serious tone; she didn't want it to show just how nervous she really was.

Nick had indeed heard what Timothy said-and had gotten quite the chuckle out of seeing one very embarrassed child hurry past him and down the stairs. Timothy didn't have to tell him how loud he, Nick, could be; Nick knew it. He also knew it mattered very little to him what the majority of the people around him thought about some of his characteristics. However, when it came to what Ruth thought, that was another story all together. "I am loud."

Ruth felt her face drain of its color just a little. She was embarrassed. "Timothy does have a way of speaking rather bluntly when he chooses to talk."

Nick chuckled and told her not to worry about it. "May I come in?" He asked once he stopped laughing.

"Sure," Ruth went back to packing. "But I don't know what kind of company I will be. I'm still packing."

Nick took a few steps and reached out, taking a hold of her hands as he did so. "And you can finish the moment we get through talking."

Ruth felt her heart skip a beat and fear took a hold of her. The serious in Nick's eyes made her thing something was dreadfully wrong. "It's not Uncle Kyle is it? He's not in the area is he?"

"No, no," Nick hurried to calm Ruth, who looked as if she was on the verge of a panic attack. "He's nowhere near the ranch. I," Nick removed his hands from hers and laid his hands upon her shoulders. A caring and loving look replaced the more serious one he'd been wearing. "I just wanted to ask you if, once we're back in Stockton and after Heath and I talked to Jarrod, if I could court you."

Ruth was speechless. She liked Nick, and had secretly started having more thoughts about him. However, she had never thought he'd seriously want to court her, not with her having 'extra baggage' as it were and knowing each other such a short time. She didn't count the couple of weeks he was in the makeshift hospital. He'd been an injured eighteen year-old, and she'd been a mere child.

Nick, who seemed to read her mind, cupped her face in his hands and tilted her face slightly upwards. "Believe me, waiting a week and a half before asking you is a record for me. I've never been one to wait when I'm interested in someone. When I said I was loud, I could have added I'm also known to be stubborn and a bit impulsive at times. As far as Timothy goes, I'll make, or buy, him all the earplugs he wants." Nick then lowered his head and, leaning over just a little due to fact that Ruth only stood five feet four, gently covered her mouth with his.

Ruth told herself she should pull away; that he was moving far too fast only she didn't listen to herself. Throwing caution to the wind, she slid her arms around his waist. She also prayed Nick and Heath were right when they said they were sure Jarrod, and his friends from the Pinkerton Agency, could help get what belonged to Timothy…and Nick and Heath, along with their family and the men on their ranch, could protect him at the same time if necessary.


	16. Heading Back to Stockton

Chapter Sixteen

Ruth and Timothy stood beside their Uncle Jim in front of Reno's railroad station's ticket office; they were waiting for Heath and Nick, who were putting Coco and Charger into one of the boxcars the railroad station used to haul animals. The small group had traveled to Reno to catch the train. Timothy was standing rather close to Ruth and holding her hand. His tight grip told Ruth just how nervous her 'son' really was-even if he was trying to keep a frightened look off his face. _"You've run too much and for too long. We're going to make it so you can stop that, make it so you can live wherever you want to without the fear of your uncle looming over you."_ Nick's words, spoken to her just that morning, sounded in her ears. _"I hope you are right, Nick."_ Ruth thought as she glanced down at Timothy, or Timmy, as Heath and Nick were now calling the boy.

"My door will always be open to the two of you, should you need it." Just because he had agreed it was best if Ruth and Timothy went to Stockton, Jim wasn't about to have them think they couldn't return to Abbottsville if they needed too.

Ruth smiled from ear to ear as she hugged her uncle. "I know, and I'm sorry for not telling you everything sooner. I was simply afraid, been burned too many times in the past. Though, after three months, you'd have thought I could have told you everything without Heath having to befriend Timothy and Nick having to prod me into to facing you with the whole truth."

Jim smiled. "Heath and Nick are good ones, as is their family. And," he chuckled, "Nick does have a way of pushing when he gets it into his head to do so. And, from what little I've seen of Heath's dealings with Timothy, Heath does too." Jim Barkley then grew very serious. "Nick can be trusted with everything you've got, girl. And, I suspect the way Jarrod talks about Heath, that he can be trusted as well. For that matter, all my late brother's family can."

Ruth thought about the close friendship that now existed between Heath and her 'son', and how much that friendship had helped Timothy. She also saw Nick lying in the cot in the makeshift hospital and the feeling of safety that had rolled off him when she was talking with him, along with the feeling she'd had while he sat listening to her explain things to her uncle. Most of all, she remembered how it had felt when he'd kissed her after Timothy had left her room. "I know that, Uncle Jim. Really I do," Then, seeing Heath and Nick walking their way, Ruth stepped away from her uncle, allowing Jim to say his goodbyes to Timothy as well.

"We best get on that train, if we don't want to find ourselves waiting another couple hours for the next one." Nick picked up Ruth and Timothy's baggage upon hearing the conductor calling out, telling people it was time to take their places on the train.

"Bye," Timothy looked at his Uncle Jim and then walked with Ruth up the train's steps while Heath and Nick followed behind. Soon, Nick and Heath were putting their luggage on the rack above their heads, while he and Ruth took their seats. Within a couple of minutes, Nick was sitting across from Ruth while Heath was facing Timothy. Neither Nick nor Heath spoke a word as the train pulled away from the station; as Ruth had her eyes towards the window looking as if she was a hundred miles away.

On the other hand, neither Barkley could miss the fact that Timothy kept looking from Heath to Nick. Both men dared guess it was because Timothy had formed more of a friendship with Heath than Nick. Had they been able to read the child's mind, Heath and Nick would have found out they were close to right. However, neither one was sure what to think when the lad let go of Ruth's arm and climbed upon Nick's lap, wrapping his arms around Nick's neck and laying his head down upon the dark haired rancher's shoulder as he did so. However, Nick simply smiled and wrapped his arm around the boy and let the child stay where he was.

Ruth, who had turned her head back away from the train when she felt Timothy let go of her hand and move off his seat, couldn't help but stare. What on earth had gotten in Timothy? "Timothy…" She started to say only have Nick speak up.

"Let the boy stay where he's at. I don't mind really." Nick smiled at her while silently adding… _'besides, if he's warming up to me, it will be easier to court you.'_

"Nick's just a big teddy bear once you get past his protective armor." Heath gave Ruth a crooked smile, one that might as well reached from one ear to another. Truth was, after Nick had told him that Ruth had consented to let Nick court her, Heath had hoped that sooner or later Timothy would show some sign of at least liking Nick. After all, if things actually worked out between Nick and Ruth, it would make the adjustment the three would have to make a lot of easier if Timothy had already accepted things between Nick and his 'mother'.

"As long as you're sure," Ruth said as she looked at Nick, still uncertain of what to make of Timothy's actions.

"If I minded, you'd know it." Nick held Timothy just a little more tightly, as he smiled at Ruth and answered honestly.

Ruth couldn't help but laugh softly. Somehow, she knew Nick was telling the truth. "Fine, have it your way." She smiled and then turned her eyes back towards the window. Before she knew it, Ruth did something she'd never done before…let her head rest against the train window and allowed herself to drift off to sleep, feeling safer and happier than she had been in a very long while.


	17. False Security and True Friends

Chapter Seventeen

As the storm clouds gathered outside his Tennessee home, the now gray haired, Kyle Randall stood by his home office's window drinking a glass of whiskey. While he did not have an overly large build, Mister Randall still had a way of holding himself that intimidated many. Of course, not many had seen that side of him. With his smooth talking tongue, the "gentleman" had perfected the art of getting what he wanted simply by giving people around him an allusion of what they wanted to see. Not knowing what his sister-in-law, the late Patience Barkley Randall had told the sheriff, Kyle thought the only person that had cause to suspect he was more than he led others to believe of him, was his niece, Ruth Randall.

Kyle hadn't seen Anna Ruth Randall in years and had seldom thought about her. Only now, with the day that he'd inherit his brother's mass fortune drawing closer, Kyle had found himself thinking more about his niece, though he didn't know why. It's not like he had anything to fear from her. An evil chuckle escaped his lips as he thought on how her baby brother had died within forty eight hours after he'd stormed away from his late sister's home and how Anna Ruth had been left in the care of the Lees. The child dying saved him from trying to find a way to get rid of him, and the Lees had, most likely, made the young woman's life a living nightmare. He quit laughing though as he thought on the money in the Carson City Bank. He had tried to get the money earlier, but the law had not budged. They'd told him it didn't matter if he had proof no sons had survived. They said his brother's will specified a waiting period of ten years after the war…and that was final. Kyle growled; he had no choice but to bide his time and then take the necessary papers back to the courts if he wanted to get the money. He took another swallow of his liquor and cursed softly. At least he had the comfort of knowing the money wasn't going anywhere.

 **~oOo~**

Jarrod stood on the Stockton's railroad station and listened to the sound of a train whistle. Moments later the train holding his brothers and their guests was pulling in. Jarrod might not be as curious as all get out, only Nick had sent a second telegram… and the hot tempered rancher had specifically asked Jarrod to be there to meet them. Nick hadn't had to say something was up; Jarrod knew something was amiss simply for the fact that Nick never would have asked Jarrod to set aside his work to meet them at the station if there wasn't. After all, Victoria, Audra or even Silas was just as capable of meeting the train just as he was.

"Jarrod!" Nick's booming voice rang through the air, causing Jarrod to turn to his right. He could see Heath walking hand in hand with a young boy. Jarrod didn't have to wonder why the boy was attached to Heath; it was obvious the boy had problems similar to the newest Barkley, nor was he surprised to see Nick holding the hand of a very beautiful young woman. Though, Jarrod found himself wondering just how close the two could have gotten in a mere two weeks time.

"So, dear brother," Jarrod smiled at Ruth and Timothy. "I will assume these are the guests you wrote the family about."

"They are." Nick answered as he introduced Ruth followed by Timothy.

Having been told to simply call him Jarrod, Ruth held out her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Jarrod." After shaking hands with Jarrod, she introduced Timothy as well.

Nick then asked Heath if he minded taking Timothy to the ranch while he and Ruth visited Jarrod.

 _"I was right."_ Jarrod thought as he heard Nick ask the question and Heath answering, in the affirmative. He then watched as Heath and Timothy went to get the horses out of the animal boxcar.

"So," said Jarrod, once Timothy was out of earshot and before looking at Nick and Ruth. "Just what is up, and don't tell me nothing."

The look in Jarrod's eyes as he made the statement, had Nick chuckling; one would think Jarrod knew him. Keeping a hold of Ruth's hand, Nick started walking towards his horse which Heath was now leading towards him. Even though he highly doubted anyone connected to Kyle Randall was around, the hot tempered rancher did not wish to take any chances. If he did that it might push the Barkley luck a bit too far. "Not here," Nick told his brother, who had quickly caught up with Nick. "We need to talk to you in your office."

Jarrod continued wondering what was up as he walked towards Jingo, who was tethered to a nearby hitching post while Nick mounted his horse and then reached down to help Ruth up. Soon she was sitting behind him and wrapping her arms around Nick's waist.

"Mama, you're not coming to the ranch with us?" Timothy, who was seated on Charger, in front of Heath, looked at his sister; she'd assured him it was okay to continue calling her mama if he wanted too. Due to their situation, the two had never really been apart, and it frightened him.

"Nick and I need to talk to his brother, Jarrod. You'll be fine; Heath will watch out for you." Ruth smiled at Timothy.

Timothy looked back at Heath and then at his mother, Nick and Jarrod. "We finally got good friends, don't we, mama?"

The three Barkley brothers felt their hearts go out to Ruth and Timothy when Timothy asked his question; though, it hit Nick and Heath just a little bit harder due to the fact that the young boy's question told them Ruth had not exaggerated how life had been for her and her baby brother. "Yes, we have."

Timothy again looked at Heath and Nick. He then looked at his "mother" and asked, "Are we going to stay in Stockton?"

Ruth felt Nick slip his one hand over hers while his other one held the reins to his horse. She didn't answer for a moment, knowing Nick was silently telling her there was no need to leave Stockton any time soon. "For awhile at least," she answered as a smile spread from one side of her face to the other.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Jarrod sat behind his desk while Nick pulled a chair away from the south wall and moved it closer. He insisted Ruth have the seat while he remained standing behind her. It did not pass by Jarrod that Nick was resting his hands upon Ruth's' shoulders with a very protective look about him. His brother's behavior only served to raise Jarrod's curiosity.

"So, what did you need to talk to me about?" Jarrod looked at his brother and their guest.

Nick started to reply, only to have Ruth lift her hand and lay it on top of his. While she'd appreciated his help at Jim's house, Ruth had no intention of making Nick tell any part of the story again. "No, I'll tell him why." She kept a hold of Nick's hand and she repeated the whole story to Jarrod. By the time she was done Jarrod looked as stunned and shocked as her uncle had.

"We need to know how to get Timothy his money-when it becomes available-without tipping our hand too soon." Nick spoke up after Ruth had finished speaking.

Jarrod leaned back in his chair, all the while keeping his eyes on Nick and Ruth. "Do you have any proof of your true identity? Not that I doubt you," Jarrod was quick to add when he saw fury begin to appear in Nick's eyes. "The thing is, since you're not his mother, we would need to get you legally appointed as Timothy's guardian before we do anything and, before you ask, I can get that done quietly and without a lot of publicity. I know the judge well. Successfully caring and providing for your brother for ten years more than justifies his granting our request without actually doing anything in any courtroom."

"Are you sure?" Ruth asked, filling more than a bit anxious at the thought of Timothy being taken from her.

Jarrod smiled and nodded. "As sure as I can be; that is, if you have any proof of what you say."

Ruth thought for a moment and then sighed. "I have our family Bible. It shows each and every one of our family's names and birth dates, but all that would proof is I'm not lying when I say my parents gave two of their daughters the same name, but in different places, when it comes to the name 'Ruth'."

Jarrod smiled. "If you'll give me the bible, I'll go out on a ledge and talk to the judge privately. For right now, I'm sure I can convince him to give you guardianship even without any other proof of both your true identities and relationship; however, I know he'll say we'll have to think of a way to get more proof. When it comes to your uncle and the money in the Carson City Bank," Jarrod's smile faded. "I have a few ideas, but I'd like to toss them around for a bit before I say anything. For now," Jarrod paused and then looked at Nick. "I'd say Miss Randall and her 'son' remain on the ranch. Don't tell anyone you're his mother." Jarrod looked at Ruth. "Just let them assume it when they hear him call you mother, mama or whatever it is that he calls you. As slim as the chances are, I don't want to run the risk that someone in, or passing through, Stockton might actually know your uncle somehow. If such person exists, they'd be bound to innocently reveal it to him. I'll also contact some of my friends in the Pinkerton agency. I'll ask them to find anything and everything they can when it comes to Kyle Randall. And," Jarrod looked at Nick and said, "I know mother well enough. It won't take her long to know something isn't right. If she figures it out before I get home, just ask her to wait until we're all together to discuss the matter."

Nick didn't have to ask why Jarrod made the request. Audra had started having weekly 'tea parties'-as it were- with some of her friends…and it was her turn to play hostess. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Thanks," Ruth managed to reply as she tried to relax-she'd tensed up without even realizing it.

"You're more than welcome." Jarrod smiled and then looked at Nick. "I'm not a doctor only I suggest you get this young lady to the ranch and let her rest for now."

Nick grinned and kept his hand on Ruth's shoulder even as she stood up. "Don't worry dear brother; I have every intention of doing that very thing." He headed for his brother's office door, after Ruth had thanked Jarrod again.

~oOo~

"Why don't you court Mama?" Timothy asked as he did the chores around the barn that Heath had given him; the young lad had just seen Victoria Barkley return home and his thoughts had been turned to his own mother. "Not that I don't like Mister Nick. He's not so bad." Timothy added, thinking back to the train and how safe he'd felt while Nick held him and he slept.

Heath couldn't help but chuckle as he shook his head. "Ruth is a good woman; I'll not deny that. Only," Heath said as he brought the sledgehammer down upon the horseshoe he was working on. "I don't want to court anyone right now."

"Because of your leg?" Timothy asked as he finished the last assignment given him.

Heath shook his head and gave Timothy a crooked smile. "Leg's got nothing to do with it; either a woman can take me with it or leave me alone. That's the only two choices they'd have. I'm just not interested in settling down yet is all. Besides, you just admitted Nick's a good man. So, don't beat a dead horse."

Shock leapt upon the young boy's face. "Why on earth would I do such a thing?"

"Just a way of saying something has been asked about, or done, far too many times." Heath answered as he began finished with the horseshoe and began putting the tools away, telling Timothy it was time for him to meet Victoria. "McColl said she wanted to meet you the moment she got home from the Martins." Heath said, remembering how the foreman had stopped Heath, once he and Timothy had arrived at the ranch.

Timothy bit his tongue to keep from saying anything. He'd never been one to mingle much with anyone, something Heath had seen for himself when Timothy hid behind him when McColl had approached him. "Don't worry," Heath's lopsided grin appeared as he and Timothy walked out the barn door. "She doesn't bite."

Timothy chuckled a little, and promised himself to disappear into whatever bedroom the Barkleys gave to him the first chance he got.


	19. Meeting Victoria and Revealing Eyes

Chapter Nineteen

Victoria had just sent Timothy into the kitchen to ask Silas for a cookie, when the front door opened and Nick, along with Ruth, entered the house. Victoria had to admit that Heath had not been exaggerating when he said Ruth Randall Duncan was beautiful; though, Heath had warned Victoria not to call Ruth by her ex-husband's last name. "I wouldn't be surprised if she asks Jarrod if she can legally drop the name once this mess is over," had been Heath's exact words.

"Hello, Mother." Nick smiled and then introduced Ruth.

By the look in Nick's eyes, Victoria could see Nick was smitten with the young woman. That fact did not surprise her; however, since the young woman was divorced and had a child, Victoria hoped that Nick would be cautious. Even as she thought that, Victoria had to mentally shake her head. When it came to her middle son, "women" and "cautious" weren't exactly words that were known to connect with each other. "Welcome to our home. May I get you something to drink?" Victoria asked, largely because their guest looked like she could use it.

"Thanks, but no thank you." Ruth smiled and then apologized. "It's been a long trip; I'd like to simply lie down for a few minute." She wasn't lying, though Ruth knew it was more the stress of having to repeat her story to Jarrod that really had her wanting to simply take some quiet time for herself.

"Of course, dear," Victoria answered just as Silas began walking up the stairs. "Silas, would you please show our visitor to the guest room?" She then gave a brief explanation when it came to the fact that Ruth and Timothy would share a room. "It's rather large though and, after some discussion, we do have a much smaller room that could also be turned into a bedroom. So, the two of you won't have to share one room very long."

"That's fine, Mrs. Barkley, really." Ruth smiled as she followed Silas up the stairs, thinking on the numerous nights she and Timothy had shared a room…and often times the room didn't exactly have very much space.

Once Ruth was out of sight, Victoria looked at Nick. The fact that there was something he wasn't saying, was something else she could see in his eyes, and she didn't like being kept in the dark. Taking a deep breath, she asked in a tone more serious than she'd used in a long time, "What's going on?"

Nick couldn't help but chuckle. Jarrod and he should have known Victoria would see right through him the moment he walked in the door and ask such a question the first chance she got. Still, right or wrong, Nick was grateful for the request Jarrod had made. Nick walked over to the table that held the family's drinks and, picking up the canister holding his whiskey in it. He told her what Jarrod had requested. "It really is better for us to do as Jarrod said and wait." Nick told her as he poured some of the whisky into a small glass. "But believe me when I say; it's imperative we plan on Ruth and Timothy being long term guests, meaning they need to stay here for more than a few weeks."

Victoria frowned. Long term guests? More than a few weeks? She didn't like the sound of that. That is, she didn't like it not knowing the whys behind the extended stay. Still, if Jarrod had asked that they wait until he arrived home, she would do as he wished. "The moment your brother gets home, we're going to have a meeting." Victoria said and then excused herself saying she was going to help Silas take some lemonade out to Audra and her friends who moved their party to the rose garden. Thus, Nick had more time to think on Ruth, Timothy and one man whom he, Nick, wanted to get alone for just five minutes.

 **~o** **Oo~**

Timothy, who had finished the cookies and milk Silas had given him, made his way outside and began looking around. It wasn't long before he saw Nick and Heath talking near the corral. When the pair turned and looked his way, Timothy wasn't surprised when both a mixture of concern and annoyance appeared on Nick face, probably because the loud rancher knew Timothy had been given some jobs to do inside the house.

"And just what do you think you're doing outside." Nick took a step forward and folded his arms as he looked down at Timothy.

Timothy looked at Heath, almost as if to see if the blonde haired cowboy would get him out of trouble. He sighed as he realized Heath was backing Nick up even in his silence. "I did most of what was asked of me. I wanted to see the ranch, so I took a little break." Timothy answered quietly as his eyes turned downwards.

Both Nick and Heath sighed. They understood the need to be outside all too well. However, before either brother had a chance to say anything Jarrod rode up to the house. Nick turned to Heath. "How about giving the lad a break and going ahead and take him on a short ride? I need to go inside." He then hurried towards their home.

Timothy climbed onto the corral fence. "Mama's afraid of something." He said as he sat down on top of the fence and looked at Heath, who wasn't surprised to hear the young boy make the statement. Heath had learned quickly just how bright and intuitive Timothy was.

"What makes you say that?" Heath asked, wanting to know just what the young boy had noticed-since neither, he, Nick nor Ruth had said anything since arriving in Stockton.

"Her eyes," Timothy shrugged his shoulders. "They were starting to smile; especially when she's around Nick, only now they're tired again."

Heath couldn't help but stare just a little. He might have known how smart young Timothy was, but he hadn't known the young boy was that observant. Yet, he knew Timothy was right. Ruth was tired. However, Heath knew of nothing anyone could do but to support her as they worked on dealing with the situation. "She'll be fine. You'll see. Now," Heath stepped away from the fence, "Let's go for a ride around the ranch."

It was a suggestion that had Timothy flying off the fence and joining Heath, who had headed for the stables.


	20. Explaining to the Family

Chapter Twenty

Nick stood in the doorway of the guest bedroom looking at Ruth, who lay on her bed fast asleep. That explained why she hadn't answered when he knocked on the door. She looked like an angel; Nick hated to wake her, only everyone but Heath was waiting in the living room. _"I don't even see why we need to disturb her; you and I can tell everyone that's going on."_ His words, spoken just moments before, rang in his ears, along with Jarrod's reply. _"She has the right to hear this. If she doesn't want to repeat the story to the family; you or I can."  
_  
Sighing, Nick crossed the floor and laid his hand gently upon Ruth's shoulder. As much as he hated it, Nick shook her gently. It took a couple of times, but slowly Ruth opened her eyes and then sat up. "I knew I felt tired, but I didn't think I was that tired." She said as she looked at Nick; the compassion in his eyes warmed her heart. Still, she could also sense a rather serious aurora around the famous Stockton rancher. "Jarrod's home?"

"Yes, he and the others are downstairs waiting for us." Nick told her and then added how good it was to see her relaxing enough to get some decent rest.

Ruth gave him a small smile and admitted she'd never had such an easy time falling to sleep before, first on the train and now in the room his family was letting her and Timothy use. "I always had to be on the alert, never had anyone to trust Timothy with." She fought back the tears that wanted to come, until Nick again put his hand on her shoulder. It was as if someone took a key and unlocked the gate to her emotions; the tears spilled out in bucketfuls, causing Nick to wrap his arms around her and pull her to him.

Ruth found herself basking in the warmth she felt every time Nick held, or touched her. A part of her didn't want that feeling to stop. However, after she'd regained control, she pulled back and stood up. Nick slipped his hand over hers and stood up also. "Come one, I'll be with you the entire time." He tightened his grip on her hand just a little, but not enough to hurt her.

"I'm not a child, Nick." She smiled from ear to ear. "Though, I do appreciate the support you're giving me." She paused and then amended her words. "I should say the support Uncle Jim, Heath, Jarrod and yourself have shown. You sure your mother won't be upset with me and this situation being brought here?" She didn't like the idea of that happening at all.

"She'd tan our backsides if we didn't." Nick smiled as they walked out of the room, down the stairs and then entered the living room.

Victoria was seated on the sofa while Audra sat in the chair near the entrance way to the living room; Jarrod stood next to the fireplace. Audra quickly stood up and offered Ruth the chair. "Thank you, but I hate to make you stand."

"I won't be standing," Audra said as she walked over and sat down next to her mother.

Jarrod looked at Ruth and asked her if she minded if he just gave the Victoria and Audra a brief synopsis of her and Timothy's situation. "Then we can get on with discussing my visit with the judge." He could see shock waves appear in everyone's eyes.

Naturally, Victoria and Audra thought the young woman must have done something wrong, and their stares were directed at her. That idea was quickly discarded when Nick barked. "She's not broken any laws!" He then looked at Ruth as he squeezed her shoulders just a little.

"Go ahead," Ruth looked at Jarrod and sighed. She wasn't up to trying to convince Mrs. Barkley or Audra of anything.

Jarrod took a deep breath and told his mother and Audra the basics of the situation Ruth and Timothy were in. Needless to say, two very audible gasps escaped the two women's mouths. "You'll stay here, of course!" Victoria looked at Ruth, apologizing for the first thoughts that had come in her head when Jarrod mentioned the judge. "And what your brother calls you is between the two of you, not us."

"You saw the judge already?" Nick asked the question while Ruth's eyes repeated it.

"Call it coincidence, call it luck, call it destiny, call it whatever you want, but yes." Jarrod leant his back against wall beside the fireplace. "He was just coming into town when I started to leave my office, so I stopped and asked for a bit of his time."

"What did he say?" Ruth asked after silence fell upon the room.

"He signed papers giving you temporary custody of Timothy for six months. We have to prove your story to be true-or at least enough of it-if it is to become permanent."

"How do we do that?" Nick demanded after he looked down and saw anxiety filling Ruth's eyes. "She only has the family bible."

"You're forgetting the empty grave." Jarrod answered as he looked at Ruth. "I have sent a letter to the Pinkertons and asked them to go immediately to Tennessee. The judge has a friend who has connections in that state…connections that give the agency permission to do anything they need too...without anyone else finding out. I've also asked the Pinkertons to get a copy of your father's will, quietly as possible. We need to see the exact wording your father used. Also, the judge wanted to know if Timothy is an alias for your brother or if it's his middle name, as your family Bible only has the name of 'Charles T. Randall'."

Ruth looked at him quizzically, but only for a moment as she quickly realized what Jarrod was saying. If her father had named each of her brothers, he would not have included her baby brother, as her father had never known about him. "My father had to have simply said his sons were to inherit the money." Ruth straightened up. "If he didn't, why would Uncle Kyle try to poison Timothy as a baby? And, yes, Timothy is his middle name, but everyone called him by his first name, Charles, at birth." Ruth continued, fighting to keep the fear out of voice. "Uncle Kyle could still find out. He could still come after Timothy." Without even thinking, she reached up and covered Nick's hand with one of hers. It didn't pass any of the Barkleys, though they said nothing.

"Maybe he will, and maybe he won't. The Pinkertons are pretty good at what they do and they know how to be discreet." Jarrod told her. He, Nick and the others quickly added that they would do all they could to protect her brother. "In fact, the judge even suggested that-as you never know what 'coincidences' will happen-that we continue to refer to Timothy as your son."

Victoria didn't like that. However, she also knew how many strangers passed through Stockton so she accepted it. Then, because she could tell there was something Jarrod wasn't saying, spoke up. "What other evidence do you think you can get to back up her claim?"

Jarrod looked at Ruth for a moment and then asked, "Do you know where your friend and her husband live now? The ones that helped you escape with Timothy all those years ago."

Ruth's eyes widened and felt shock waves roll over her as she thought on her friends. She also remembered her promise to them. She started shaking her head. "No!" She shocked everyone when she jumped to her feet and yelled the word. "I gave them my word I would never drag them into anything else if they helped me! The only way I'll break my word is if, by keeping my mouth shut, Timothy's life will be even in more danger!"

While Jarrod and the others knew their case would be strengthened with eyewitnesses, they also understood-and admired-the young woman's principles. He nodded ever so slightly. "All right," he stepped away from the fireplace. "We'll leave them out of this if at all possible. Nick, when Heath arrives home, I need to talk to both of you privately."

Nick frowned slightly, as did everyone else. Still, no one pressed Jarrod to tell them why. They figured that, if they needed to know, the three brothers would tell them eventually.

"Come on Ruth, I have some things up in my room I want to show you," said Audra.

"In other words, she has extra dresses and she wants to see if they fit Ruth." Nick muttered once his sister and Ruth were out of the living room, only to have Audra call back and ask him what he'd said.

"Nothing that matters," Nick hollered back and then excused himself, saying he had work waiting for him outside. When it came to Jarrod, he walked out of the living room and headed for his study…successfully fighting to keep any laughter he felt from escaping his lips.


	21. Discussions

Twenty One

"Is he serious?" Nick, who stood in the study, not far from Jarrod's desk looked at his older brother. Jarrod had just finished telling Nick and Heath, who sat in a chair in front of the desk, one concern that the judge had brought up...and his brothers didn't like it.

Jarrod thought about how a man might react when he found out the huge amount of money he'd been expecting to get, not only went to another party, but that it happened due to the actions of another. And when Kyle Randall found out his nephew had survived thanks to Ruth's intervention, everything under the sky could very well break wide open. "Very serious and I have to agree. If there is as much money involved as Ruth said there is, her Uncle Kyle is going to resent her interference even more than he did before."

Nick's jaw hardened and his hands doubled up in fists before he had time to think about it. "He lays one finger on her and I'll..."

Jarrod held up his hand and pointed his finger at his hot tempered brother. "Don't say it, Nick. We need to keep our focus on protecting both Ruth and Timothy while the Pinkertons do their part in getting the proof we need. For now, all we can do is to keep our ears and eyes wide open without saying anything around Timothy. If anything is to be said to Ruth," Jarrod shrugged his shoulders and looked at his brothers. "I think one of you should talk to her."

Heath's lopsided grin appeared on his face as he looked at Nick. "If anything happens and you want me to talk to Timmy I will, but I think you best talk to Ruth." He wasn't about to add that he wasn't going to purposely do anything that would send Ruth thinking he had any feelings for her, other than the same concern he had for any of his family and friends.

"Talk about Ruth," Nick looked at the clock. "I'm supposed to take her out to dinner." He looked at Heath. "Mother said she'd watch Timmy, but I kind of promised Ruth I'd ask you to keep a close eye on him too."

Heath still had chores to get done, but he wasn't going to tell Nick that. Why should he? He knew that by taking Timothy along it would help the lad to continue to see that having a leg that was different didn't mean you had to stop living. "No problem, might want to have Ruth give a description of her uncle to the men, so they can keep an eye out just in case." Heath suggested as he stood up.

"Anything else?" Nick asked, keeping his eyes on Jarrod.

"Just be careful," Jarrod answered as he began looking through some papers on his desk. "From everything the two of you and Ruth have told us, we need to be on our guard if that man does find out the truth."

"You don't need to tell me that one." Nick said and then headed out of the room. Knowing Ruth was once again with Audra, he decided to go outside and get a few minor chores done before getting ready for his date with Ruth. He just hoped it Mr. Hills, the cafe owner, had hired more reliable help than the last time Nick had tried eating there. He didn't want to find himself having to take Ruth elsewhere.

~oOo~

"May I ask you something? That is, without you thinking I'm being overly nosey or anything?" Audra, who had only wanted to offer some of her jewelry, sat on her bed looking at Ruth, who sat on a chair next to her.

Ruth, who had politely declined Audra's offer, stiffened ever so slightly, not sure what would be coming if she answered in the affirmative. After a minute she nodded ever so slightly, "What do you want to know?"

"How on earth did you pass your brother off as your son for so long? I mean, I can see it for a few months, but ten years? You never had anyone question the relationship, not even one person?" Audra was trying to wrap her mind around that one.

An unsettled look came upon Ruth's face as she stood up and, walking over to the three by three foot window, rested her hands on the white windowpane. Looking outside, she could see Nick talking to McColl while Heath and Timothy could be seen off in the distance. She shuddered as she thought about the one time she'd actually been separated from her brother. It had only been for a few days, but it had seemed like an eternity. And, there were some who might condemn her for what she did to get him back. It was a story she was starting to think she needed to share with Nick sometime. After all, they were seeing each other. But Audra? The young woman was nice enough; that was true, and Ruth had no reason to doubt Nick or Heath when they said Audra was trustworthy. Still..."Does it really matter?" Ruth finally turned around and asked, not knowing how else to answer Audra's question. Well, since she didn't really want to share the story at the moment, Ruth didn't know how to answer the question without lying...and she didn't want to do that.

Audra, who had hoped to hear a good story, inwardly sighed. The answer to Ruth's question was a resounding 'no', and Audra knew it. As much as she wanted to press the issue, she could just hear the lecture she'd get once any of her family heard about it...and they would hear about it. That was one thing Audra was certain of. "No, it doesn't. I was just curious." Audra admitted.

The two might have continued talking, only a knock came on the door; it was Victoria. The Barkley matriarch needed Audra's help in the attic. "I'd invite you to help us sort out all the items donated for the charity auction tomorrow, but Nick has practically begged me to make sure you have time to get ready for your date."

Ruth found herself blushing as Victoria smiled at her. If it wasn't for the fact that the date was only forty five minutes away, Ruth would have insisted on helping the Barkley women anyway. As it was, she thanked Victoria, and then promised to help her with the actual auction itself...an offer Victoria was more than happy to accept.


	22. Let Me Tell You More

Twenty Two

The heat of the sun was offset by a gentle breeze blowing through the air. Nick and Ruth-whose dinner date had been set aside due to an emergency with one of the calves- had taken the first opportunity to make up for the lost meal; which meant having a noonday picnic the following day. Now the two sat on the dark red blanket that Ruth had laid out under a tree. The picnic basket that sat near the edge of the blanket was full of chicken, fruit and other miscellaneous items Silas had been nice enough to put together for them.

"Thank you," Ruth said as she finished a piece of chicken and stood up, walking to a nearby stream. "It's been ages since I enjoyed some down time as it were. You sure your mother and sister don't mind watching Timothy?" She was still struggling to remember to say Timmy and slipped into old habits.

Nick shook his head as he too stood up and followed her. "They don't mind at all; believe me, they don't." He went on to repeat everything he'd told her before; well, a shortened version of what she'd already heard. "If they can handle an orphanage full of father and motherless children, they can watch Timmy." Then, due to the fact that he could tell something was bothering Ruth, Nick reached up and the palms of his hands upon her shoulders. "What's up?"

Slowly the conversation she had with Audra repeated itself in her head. A part of Ruth wished the young woman had never brought the subject up; on the other hand, she was also grateful Audra had. It made Ruth ask herself, if she trusted Nick as much as she told her brother she did, why she hadn't she told him about the one time she had confided her secret to someone. "I've been honest with you when it comes to the details I've shared with you, but I haven't told you all the stories I could have. I left out one major story when it comes to our experiences." She sighed and admitted what Audra had asked, explaining the conversation had brought up a memory she'd just as soon forget.

It irritated Nick that Audra had asked such a question. What on earth made his sister think she had the right to ask such questions unless Ruth brought up the subject? He might have said what he was thinking only he found himself just as curious...and he hadn't started the conversation. "If you want to share the story you can, but…" he quickly added, not wanting to chase her away either, "you don't have to."

Ruth gave him a smile and chuckled slightly. She wasn't blind; she could see her comment had aroused Nick's interest. She couldn't get angry at him for it. After all, if someone had said the same thing to her, she'd want them to continue talking just as badly as Nick did-and he did want her to. She could see it.

"I wasn't quite seventeen when Timothy and I moved to Kansas. I met a woman by the name of Sarah Williams there." Ruth folded her arms as she gazed upon the water that ran past her. "Mrs. Williams had four children herself and, overall, was a pretty good woman. After a few months, I made the mistake of telling her the truth; that is, I told her Timothy was my baby brother not my child and that our parents were dead. I actually didn't say what my marital status was." Ruth's eyes grew hard and she spit out her next words. "She said she admired me for taking care of him so well and said I was right to have kept him with me." Ruth shook slightly as she continued talking. "However, one moment Timothy was with me, the next thing the local sheriff was taking him to the orphanage. They demanded to know who my next of kin was, only I wouldn't tell them." She turned and faced Nick, tears running down her face. "I ran off and hid in a nearby church. Later, around midnight, I snuck into the orphanage, grabbed Timothy and ran. They probably looked for us, but they never found us...we had already crossed the Kansas state line." She sighed, "Though," she shrugged her shoulders, "the one good thing I did back then was to call my brother Timothy Duncan. If they looked for us, they were handing out the wrong name."

While Nick understood a person's concern when it came to a young girl having to raise her brother by herself, it angered him to learn what Mrs. Williams had done. Mrs. Williams shouldn't have pulled the sheriff into it after saying what she had to Ruth. It was also rather humbling to realize that Ruth had put her trust in him in such a short time after being burnt like that. "After what you just told me, I'm not surprised you didn't say anything to Uncle Jim. In fact, it's amazing you didn't simply lay into me and tell me that you were your sister...and I simply had things wrong. I would have believed you." Nick told her as he took a step towards her.

Ruth remembered how she'd been tempted to do just that... to insist she was her sister and that he had things backwards. She also thought about the memory that had come back to her by the pond...the one of him in the hospital. "There was always something about you." She admitted as she turned back to the river even as Nick took another step-placing himself next to her. She then admitted she'd known from the first moment he stepped into Jim Barkley's house that she should know him. "But I couldn't place you and then Timothy took a shine to Heath. I turned my mind to keeping an eye on the two of them, fearing Timothy might say something to Heath...and what Heath would do if that happened."

"Heath wouldn't hurt that boy if his life depended on it; none of us would. No one's going to take Timmy from you if I or my family has any say in it." Nick assured her even as he reached out and, turning her around, pulled her to him in a very warm and secure embrace.


	23. Chapter 23

Twenty Three

Nick, who had walked into the barn intent on getting a few tools, felt an undeniable pull towards the loft. He frowned slightly; still, he headed toward the ladder. It wasn't long before he stood in the loft looking at Timothy who was sitting on wooden crate rolling a small pebble around in his hand. Knowing Timothy was pretty much Heath's shadow Nick couldn't help but wonder what was wrong.

"Mind if I join you?" Nick asked as he kept his eyes on the young child. Timothy simply shrugged his shoulders. "I'd be hard pressed to decide who was the quieter one, you or Heath," Nick thought as he made his way to another crate and sat down. After what seemed like an eternity, Nick was about to try to get Timothy to talk when the boy spoke...and sent shock waves through Nick when he did.

"What's a bastard?" Timmy turned his head and looked at Nick, looking rather upset as he did so.

It was all Nick could do not to explode. He assumed one of the ranch hands had been so cruel as to use that word around Timmy while talking about Heath. He had to find out which one and go have a talk with the man...a talk that would include Nick's fists. "Before I answer that," Nick forced himself to speak without bellowing-even it if was the hardest thing he'd ever done-"would you tell me who said that word and just what the rest of what they were saying?"

Timmy didn't answer for a moment. He wanted to know, but he didn't want to cause any trouble for anyone. However, his curiosity got the best of him. "I went to town with Heath. When he stepped into the back room of the mercantile, a dark haired man who had been looking at him started whispering to his friend. I heard him though; he called Heath a bastard and said that he'd heard about your family taking me and my mother in. They said maybe you had taken in another one."

Nick counted to ten even as he pressed the palm of his hand on the crate to keep his famous temper under control. "Did you catch any name at all?"

Timothy thought for a moment and then nodded. "The dark haired man's friend called him Barrett as they walked out the door."

Barrett! Nick inwardly exploded and swore silently and then, again, forced himself to speak evenly. "Bastard's a very cruel word that many people use instead of the word illegitimate."

"What's illegitimate?" Timothy asked, keeping his eyes on Nick.'

"A word that means someone's father and mother aren't, or weren't, married to each other. However, none of us in this family use that word when we talk about Heath. Yes, he and I have different mothers; our father was human and slipped up by having an affair with his mother. He's still our brother though and, as I just said, we don't use that word when talking about him. And, you're parents were married when you were born so, no, you're not illegitimate."

"Heath's a good man; the tone in their voice made it sound like they thought he wasn't. I..." Timothy hesitated and then said quietly, "I wanted to ask Heath what the word meant, but..." He shrugged his shoulders, not knowing how to explain why it was that he could talk to Heath to everything but that one. He didn't have to worry though, Nick understood.

"No need to explain," Nick put his hand on Timothy's shoulder. "Just remember this; it's Barrett and that friend of his that have the problem, not Heath. That is, they're losing out on knowing one of the best men I've ever met by their judgmental attitudes and actions."

"Okay," Timothy smiled, stood up and headed towards the ladder only to stop and turn around. "Thanks, Mister Nick. You're not bad either, even if you are loud." He then disappeared down the ladder and out of barn.

While Nick chuckled and smiled at both Timothy's compliment and blunt statement, he was seething with anger when it came to Barrett and his friend. As he stood up, Nick wished he could find a two by four strong enough to break through their thick skulls. Of course, he couldn't do that. However, as he climbed back down the ladder, Nick swore the next time he saw Barrett in town he was going to feed him his fist and give him a piece of his mind.

 **~oOo~**

"Thank you, Mrs. Barkley." Ruth, who sat at the table, was enjoying a small snack and a drink with Victoria Barkley. The Barkley matriarch had invited Ruth to join her, though Ruth suspected it was so she, Victoria, could interrogate her...in a friendly and polite way. Of course, Ruth wasn't sure Nick's mother would appreciate it if she knew Ruth had come up with the word 'interrogate' to describe their visit. "I appreciate you and your family taking Timmy and me in."

Victoria took a sip of her drink, trying to think of how to put what she had on her mind into words...without giving Ruth the wrong idea. After all, it wasn't Ruth's fault her Uncle Kyle was such an evil man or that it had become necessary to take refuge on the Barkley ranch. "I notice you and Nick are spending quite a lot of time together while Timmy seems to be under Heath's care quite a bit."

Ruth stiffened, not sure if Victoria was accusing her of neglect or what. "Timmy and Heath have formed quite the friendship I admit, but he has never been, nor is his, under any obligation to have Timmy in his care." Ruth answered; doing her best to keep any hint of resentment towards what she was sure was a very unintentional accusation of neglect on her, Ruth's, part.

Victoria, who instantly realized her mistake, was quick to clarify her thinking. "I am sorry. I never meant to imply any wrong doing. I was just..." she paused and then said, "wondering just how serious you and Nick are and what messages Timothy might be getting."

Ruth shook her head. "Timothy knows how things are between Nick and me. With the exception of withholding the information about Uncle Kyle from him, I have always been honest with him. If he chooses to hang around Heath, and if Heath doesn't mind it, then I have no problem with it." Then it was her turn to pause before she looked directly at Victoria and asked firmly, but kindly, "Should you?"

Victoria felt more than chastised by the young woman's strong, but calm rebuke. "No," Victoria smiled at Ruth, admiring the fact the young woman had not cowered or reacted in a childish manner due to her, Victoria's, questioning.

The two continued visiting, leaving the subject of Nick, Heath and Timmy out of the conversation for the moment.


	24. Bail and A Telegram

Twenty Four

Ruth walked down the main street of Stockton. She'd been with the Barkleys almost three weeks now, doing some odd jobs for the family to pay for her keep and have a bit of spending money on her. It had been an idea that Victoria had fought at first, only to concede that she could see how Ruth felt; not wanting to feel like a freeloader and have some money of her own. Now, Ruth had come into town with Audra. She'd been in town a mere ten minutes, when she learned that Nick had been in a brawl in the saloon and was in jail. At first she hadn't known what to think, but her confusion had quickly vanished when she'd overheard a couple men talking about the incident. Then all she wanted to do was applaud Nick for what he'd done. Soon she was standing inside the sheriff's office.

Fred, who had only heard about Ruth and her son, looked up and smiled. "May I help you miss?"

"I'm here to bail Nick Barkley out of jail." Ruth answered, and then stifled a laugh at the look of shock that appeared on the sheriff's face.

"Yes, ma'am," Fred quickly recovered from his shock and told her how much the fine was. After she paid it, he let his curiosity get the best of him and he asked her name. He wasn't surprised to learn who had walked into his office. "He's a good man, but you sure you know what you're doing, being the one to bail him out that is." He didn't say that out of meanness or because he was turning on the Barkleys; he wasn't. He simply hated see any woman having to bail any man out... no matter who it was and what the reason the man had for being behind bars. He'd have preferred for Jarrod or Heath to show up instead.

"Name's Ruth and I know very well what I'm doing." Ruth assured Fred as he opened the door that led to the cells where the famous hot tempered rancher was being held.

Nick, who was sitting on the cot inside his cell, had shock waves roll over him when he saw who had followed the sheriff into the cell area; he quickly stood up. He was equally shocked as Fried opened the cell door and told him he was free to go.

"You paid my bail? Why?" Nick asked after he'd stepped out and followed Ruth outside.

Ruth turned around and smiled wide. "Next time you decide to corner Barrett in the saloon, do me a favour."

Nick gave her a quizzical look and hesitantly asked her what the favour was, and then busted up laughing when she said, "Come and get me. I want to watch the fight. I hope he looks worse than you do." She knew that wasn't nice of her to say. Still, any man who would be so cruel as to say the things he, Barrett, was supposed to have said around her "son" was asking for the beating Nick had given him.

"To set the record straight," Nick took a hold of her hand as they started walking towards the livery stable where his horse was being held. "I didn't purposely go into the saloon looking for Barrett. I was just grabbing a drink before going home; he happened to already be in there."

"And you just went up and started the fight?" Ruth looked at him, her eyes dancing with amusement in her eyes.

"I didn't throw the first punch," Nick grinned back and then chuckled when he and Ruth both said at the same time that he, Nick, had just purposely pushed Barrett's buttons in order to get the man to make the first move.

"And here I was led to believe you acted before you thought," Ruth's eyes was still laughing.

"Whoever said I stopped and thought when I saw Barrett sitting at the table with his friends, lied or was mistaken. I just went up to him and made a few comments of my own." Nick growled low and then joined Ruth in her laughter.

From where he stood inside his office, Jarrod could see his brother and Ruth talking and laughing. He looked at the report in his hand and smiled as he read it again. The report was from the Pinkerton agency. It confirmed all that Ruth had told them. Her brother's grave on the outskirts of Nashville was empty. Yes, her uncle, Kyle Randall, was well known and well liked in Nashville. And lastly, Ruth's marriage and divorce were indeed on file in Franklin, Tennessee. However, the report also said Kyle Randall wasn't just under suspicion by the law for the death of Ruth's two brothers, but other illegal activities as well _. "For all the things the law suspects him of, we're surprised he has such a good reputation with those around him…"_ were just some of the words the Pinkertons had to write. Jarrod turned away from the window and, sitting down behind his desk, began going through the copy of Ruth's father's will, which had just arrived in his office a few moments before.

 **~oOo~**

Unaware of all the inquiries being made back in Tennessee, or the activities in Jarrod's law office, Kyle Randall stepped off the stage in Abbottsville, Nevada. He would have gone straight to Carson City, only the ten years wasn't quite up and he figured it wouldn't hurt anything to make a cameo appearance at Jim Barkley's home. He would simply tell Jim he had a few weeks to spare before he had to travel to Carson City on a business trip and had decided to drop in for a spell.

Unbeknownst to Kyle, Jim had just walked out of the telegraph office and, upon seeing Kyle climb out of the stagecoach, had quickly gone back inside. The brown haired, thirty year old telegraph officer who was thinner than anything Jim had ever seen looked up in surprised. "Did you forget something, Jim?"

"You could say that." Jim, who had had to fight everything him in order not to fly down the steps of the telegraph office and beat Kyle Randall to a pulp, replied. "I need to send a wire to my nephew, Jarrod Barkley, who lives in Stockton, California."

"Yes, sir," The telegraph officer handed him a paper and pen and waited patiently while Jim wrote the message down.

Not seeing Jim, and not knowing what he was doing inside the telegraph office, Kyle decided to grab a bite to eat at the local cafe before heading out to Jim Barkley's ranch.


	25. Still Need a Witness

Chapter Twenty Five

"I'm not surprised," said Heath, as he sat on the brand new sofa that Jarrod had bought for his office. Jarrod had just finished telling him about the telegram their Uncle Jim had sent. "I'm just glad Nick was able to convince Ruth to take the boy and come to the ranch." The whole time he was talking, Heath was removing his prosthetic leg and laying it next to him. That was a habit he had when he was going to be sitting anywhere for more than a few minutes. 'Blasted thing's not all that comfortable if truth be known, but what other choice do I have but to wear it? I can't work the ranch on crutches' were his exact words to Jarrod and the family the first time he'd sat down and taken it off.

"I'm not either and, yes, I agree; she and the boy belong here." Jarrod sat back in his chair, fighting successfully to keep his eyes on his blond haired brother and not on the prosthetic leg. It still sent a slight wave of guilt over Jarrod every time he saw Heath take the fake leg off. His head knew Heath had made the choice to take the bullets for him and the choice to ride off refusing aide, Heath had stated those facts a couple of times himself, but Jarrod's heart was a different matter. Still, Jarrod was doing as Heath had asked him the first time the two had had a heart to heart talk…he was working on truly putting everything behind him. After all, what good would it do to hold onto what could not be changed. He went on to tell Heath that Jim had promised to keep Kyle Randall on the ranch as long as he could; that is, without making it obvious to the gentleman that he, Jim, was doing so. He'd also assured them that all the ranch hands had been sworn to secrecy.

"What does her father's will say? Does he name his sons specifically?" Heath asked. He'd been curious about that one from the moment he learned what the papers on Jarrod's desk were.

"No," Jarrod picked up the papers and thumbed through them once more. "He simply states 'my sons' which means that, even though he didn't know about Timothy, the lad can still inherit the money." Jarrod answered, though he had a slight frown upon his face.

"What is it, Jarrod?" Heath thought that, maybe, there was a hitch that Jarrod hadn't told him yet.

"As stupid as it sounds, I think that- even with everything that Ruth has told us being verified- the law may still want an actual person to verify Timothy is indeed her baby brother when it comes to the inheritance." Jarrod answered as he lowered the papers, though he kept them in his hands as he looked from them to Heath.

"She won't bring her friend and her friend's husband into..." Heath started to say and then stopped, sitting straight up as he did so.

"What is it?" Jarrod laid the papers down on his desk and leaned forward, very interested in what Heath had just thought of.

"I was in the loft the other day; the loft doors were slightly open. Nick and Ruth were walking past the barn. Since they didn't stop, I didn't catch everything they were saying only they were talking about her ex-husband and another friend of hers. From what they were saying, locating the ex-husband wouldn't do any good." Heath answered as he leaned against the back of the couch and rested his right arm on the top of it, keeping his other arm on his good leg. "However, that other friend of hers, Ruth said the woman was with her while she packed her and Timothy's things the day she, Ruth, left her husband."

Jarrod sat straight up, catching onto what Heath was saying without a problem. "We've got to get her to give us that woman's name. I'll pay for her to come to Stockton myself if I have to. Do you think you can get her to give you a name?"

Heath couldn't help but chuckle. "Why should I have to? Just tell Nick what you told me; he'll get the information for you a lot faster than any of us will."

Jarrod, who realized he'd gotten a bit too excited, chuckled also. He should have thought about that first thing. Of course, there was no need to admit that out loud. "I have to be in town all day. On the other hand, you'll be heading home soon. Would you do the honors?"

Heath, who had begun to put his prosthetic leg back on, threw Jarrod a lopsided grin. "I can do that." Within a few minutes, Heath was walking out of his brother's office, chuckling silently to himself as he did so.

 **~oOo~**

"They have a point." Nick, who had gone riding with Ruth and Timothy, stood under a tree, next to Ruth with her hand in his, while Timothy was playing with the puppy Nick had given him in a nearby clearing. "The information Jarrod has in his office only proves you're telling the truth to a point. It does not verity that Timothy himself _is_ your brother. That friend could verify it for the judge. It's that or your ex-husband and, somehow, I don't think you want to go that route."

Ruth shot Nick a 'you have that right' look even as she felt like she might as well be climbing a wall. Elizabeth Johnson had been a very good friend to her at one time, but it had been seven years since she'd seen the woman. Was she still as good as she was back then? Would she, or could she, travel clear to California as she'd told Jarrod she would? For that matter, did the woman even live in Franklin anymore? Then again, what choice did she have? Timothy deserved to get what their father had, unknowingly, left behind for him. "I'll give Jarrod her name." Ruth said just as Timothy and the puppy headed towards them.


	26. Proposal and Conditions

A/N I had an extremely hard time with this chapter as I am patterning it after a few couples I personally know…all who have been married well over twenty years. I don't think I'll ever be totally satisfied with it; however, I know all the main points are right so….like it or not, it stands as it is now.

 **Chapter Twenty Six**

Nick held Ruth's hand, as they walked through a wide open field; they had ridden their horses to the south part of the ranch and tethered them to a couple of trees. Now they were enjoying the tall grass brushing against the lower part of their legs while they held hands and talked. Only when they came to an extremely narrow creek running through the area, did Nick stop and turn to face Ruth. He looked so serious, Ruth was half afraid of what was coming.

"What do you plan on doing once everything is settled? That is, once Jarrod secures Timothy's inheritance in the matter and puts it into the trust fund you talked to Jarrod about?" Nick asked remembering how Ruth had talked to Jarrod just that morning. She'd told his eldest brother that she thought it would be best if the majority of the money was put into a secure trust fund. Ruth had also suggested that if-heaven forbid-something should happen to her brother-they should already have something in place that made it impossible for Kyle to inherit any of the money.

Ruth never felt so torn in her life. A part of her wanted to go back and live with her Uncle Jim and get to know him better; the other part wanted to stay in Stockton. After all, it would be kind of hard to continue being friends with Nick, or any of the Barkleys for that matter, if they were in California and she was in Nevada. "I might go back to Abbottsville; Uncle Jim did say Timothy and I were welcome back. Though, I might look at Colorado too. I fell in love with it while I was there. I haven't really decided for sure." Ruth started to turn away only to find Nick turning her back around and looking at her with such love and concern, it shook her to the very center

"Would you think about staying in Stockton?" Nick ran his fingers down the side of her face. "More specifically would do you think about continuing living on the ranch as my wife? I promise I'd do my best to provide for both you and Timmy. And," Nick said as he couldn't help but chuckle, "I know for a fact that Heath wouldn't mind having Timmy calling him Uncle-even if that wouldn't be technically true."

"I…I…" Hesitation showed in Ruth's eyes; she was torn by the feelings inside her.

Nick, who could see the war going on inside Ruth and understood the hesitation, covered her mouth with his fingers as he smiled wider. "I only asked that you think about it, not that you answer me right away. I may not be the most patient man, but for this I _will_ wait. I want you to be sure either way before you agree to anything." Nick removed his fingers and lowered his head and pulled her to him as he did so, an action Ruth did not fight. "I love you," he whispered before kissing her softly on the lips.  
 **  
~oOo~**

"Timothy?" Ruth stood in the smaller room that Victoria had told her about when she and Timothy arrived; the Barkleys had indeed turned it into a bedroom for the young boy. He stood near the room's small window with his back to her. She wasn't sure if he had heard her, or if he was so lost in thought that he was totally unaware she'd even entered the room.

"I heard you." Timothy, who still wished it was Heath his mother was courting, pressed his face against the window and heard Heath's words repeat themselves once more as he did so. _"Don't beat a dead horse…"_ Timothy also heard Heath say _"Don't have to be your pa to have you help me on the ranch…"_ The two had been fishing with the family, and he and Heath had been standing near some trees when he'd said the words to Timothy. Now the boy realized he'd have to let go of any thoughts he had about Heath being his new father. "Do you love him? I mean, do you really love Nick enough to marry him? You haven't known him that long, and he's so loud, says what's on his mind, even if he's flat out wrong and has to take his words back later." Timothy added after a few silent moments.

Did she love Nick? That was a question Ruth had asked herself more than once since Nick had made his proposal. Yes, she enjoyed his company and, naturally, she was eternally grateful for how he was standing by her through this mess. "I don't care if he's loud." Ruth answered as she walked up beside her brother. "It doesn't bother me. And," she leaned against the wall and gazed upon Timothy. "It's nice to know to what's on his mind. I've spent too many years having to guess what people around me were thinking as it is. I don't need to find myself trying to make such guesses in my own home."

"So," Timothy turned away from the window and leaned against the wall. "If the two of you marry, and I am calling you mama, do I have to call him Father? Or," he looked downwards, "do I have to start calling you Ruth instead? And like I asked, do you love him?" He knew she was his sister, but he didn't care. She was the only mother he knew, and he didn't want to change what he was calling her.

"I'm mama to you, always will be. What you will call Nick is something that will be between the two of you." Only after she'd spoken did Ruth realize she'd used the words 'you will' and 'will be' in her sentence. Timothy caught it too as his head shot up and he studied Ruth's face. Forgetting entirely about his question to her about love, Timothy, for the first time in a few years, snapped rudely at his sister. "Why did you ask me what I thought if you've already made up your mind?"

Before Ruth could defend herself, Nick was standing in the doorway glaring at Timothy. "Ruth was only treating you with respect like, from what I can tell, she's been doing all along. Now, you can apologize to your 'mother' or you and I can have a conversation of our own." Nick's eyes bore into Timothy as the words were spoken.

Timothy stared at Nick as he realized Nick was not only very serious, but that- when Nick said 'conversation'- he wasn't talking about words. Timothy also knew Nick was right. Ruth had been good to him, and this time wasn't any different.

"I'm sorry, mama." He then said he'd accept whatever she decided. Afterwards, he asked to be excused, something Ruth was more than happy to do.

Once Timothy was out of the room Nick, who had heard what Ruth said, walked over to Ruth and wrapped his arms around her. "I'll do my best to make sure you're never sorry if you become my wife."

Ruth pulled out of Nick's embrace and walked over to the window, gazing out at nothing particular. After a moment of awkward silence, she began talking. "Are you sure Nick? I mean, for the past ten years I've been so focused on raising Timothy, keeping us together," she shook her head and as she rubbed her forehead. "As you've witnessed for yourself, I have no tact and," she shrugged her shoulders while giving him a sad smile. "Try as I might I can't seem to connect very well with people, though I did have a pleasant enough conversation with your mother and sister at lunch…even though I know they wished I'd loosen up more."

"You're doing fine." Nick smiled and assured her.

Ruth sighed, knowing she needed to tell Nick exactly how she felt, and what she was looking for when it came to marriage. "Mama's Aunt May and Uncle Herman were married for forty years before she passed away. People said that they had a very good marriage." Ruth turned around and looked at Nick. "Great Aunt May's journal said the two had learned to love each other in spite of the fact she liked him a lot, even loved him to a degree, but did not marry him for love. She said she was tired and wanted a good companion, and that Herman took a chance on her. Nick," Ruth's lower lip quivered a bit as she added, "I like you a lot, even love you to a degree only like Aunt May, I'm not head over heels in love with you. I'm not even really sure what deep love should feel like. My first marriage was a mistake and I've too been scared and worried about Timothy, to give love a chance. Right or wrong, what I am is tired. At this point, all I want a good companion who I know I can trust and will give me time to learn to love him with all my heart. I know I can trust you, Nick, but I would have to learn to love you even more than I do now. Are you really willing to take a chance on me knowing that?" She knew there would be many that would condemn her for entering a marriage with Nick-or anyone else for that matter-after what she'd just said. They'd say she was settling for less than she could have-or that Nick was only marrying her out of pity. She wasn't going to waste her time arguing with those 'others'; she was simply telling Nick the truth, as she had always done, and let him decide. "Wouldn't you prefer someone who is madly in love with you from the beginning? Someone," she bit her lip again and then said, "someone who has better people skills than I do?"

After all the women he'd known that had strung him along, pretending to be just that…madly in love with him, Nick found it refreshing to have someone be so blatantly honest with him, and he loved Ruth even more for it. Besides, he knew many couples who had married for many different reasons and had anywhere from good marriages to outstanding ones. "We all have skills in various areas and on various levels. Don't worry about it. Just know this…I love you, faults and all. I'll take the chance if you will." Nick began beaming from ear to ear as he stepped forward and, wrapping his arms around Ruth, pulled her to him.

"I will." Ruth said as she rested her head against Nick's chest; he tightened his hold on her just a little. She then asked softly, "What will your family say when we tell them the news? I mean, I won't lie and try to get them to believe anything that isn't so. It wouldn't be right."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Nick smiled as he kissed the top of her head. "If they have a problem with it, I'll deal with them; you don't worry about it." He continued holding her for a good ten minutes before the two walked out of the room to break the news to the family.


	27. Choices and Beginning of Trouble

**Chapter Twenty Seven**

Nick, who was standing near the fireplace, watched as Ruth ran out the front door; she was going after Timothy. The boy had bolted outside after Nick had announced that he and Ruth had decided to get married. After the door shut behind her, he looked at his mother and the rest of the family. Everyone but Heath looked rather shocked at what Victoria had called 'a sudden announcement' with a look in her eyes that questioned the timing of the announcement; it made Nick bristle just a little. "We haven't done anything." Nick said, looking straight at his mother.

"You've only known her two months." Victoria sat as tall as she could. "If nothing has happened, why on earth get married this soon? Besides, Jarrod is still working on getting things straightened out when it comes to Timothy's identity and his inheritance. Don't t you think it would be better to hold off when it comes to the wedding?"

"His identity?" Nick looked at Jarrod in disbelief. "Are you now saying Ruth is lying concerning Timothy?"

"No," Jarrod assured him. "The wire her friend, Elizabeth, sent me confirms that. She has even agreed to come to California if I absolutely need her to. All mother meant is, I'm still working on getting the courts to acknowledge it."

Nick took a deep breath and then, letting out a slow breath, admitted everything Ruth had said when he, Nick, asked her to marry him. "You can say what you want, you can object if you want," Nick said as he looked upon three very shocked expressions, Heath looked surprised, but not shocked, "only she's been nothing but honest with me or any of you. Yes, she struggles with what I've heard some have called people skills." He looked at Audra, who fidgeted in her chair. "But she's doing her best; that's all any of us can do. If I love her enough to take the chance, I would hope you would support us. Though," he hesitated and then said in an uncharacteristic quiet tone of voice, "if you don't all it will prevent is a wedding ceremony. She wants a good friend and companion she can learn to love with all her heart. I might not be a saint, but I don't believe I'm going to hell either…and, as much as you or anyone else might doubt it, I _do_ love her. So, it's up to you if there's a wedding ceremony at the church or not. However, it's up to us if there'll be a marriage…and there _will_ be one even if it means going elsewhere to be married." He then turned and walked out of the room and out of the house; he wanted to send a telegram to a friend in Carson City and see if Kyle Randall had made an appearance yet. That left his family to discuss what had just taken place in the living room.

 **~oOo~**

Kyle was sure someone had a hole in their well somewhere up in the sky as the rain fell from the blackened sky and pounded itself down upon the boardwalk that lined the businesses on Main Street. After allowing himself to relax and enjoy a more than enjoyable visit on Jim Barkley's ranch longer than he'd meant to, Kyle was in an extreme hurry to get to the bank. The sooner he gave them the papers he'd been saving for months, the sooner he could get the money and hop a train back for Tennessee. However, thanks to the heavy downpour-and having been to the bank only once before-Mr. Randall missed the bank and had to turn around. It wouldn't have been so bad only he stepped into a huge mud puddle as he did so. Kyle Randall swore and then scurried to get inside the bank.

Once inside he walked briskly towards the manager's office. The sooner he got 'this business' out of his hair, the sooner he could get back to Tennessee and expand his ranch…as there was some land connected to it for sale. However, after sitting down and handing the manager the papers he, Kyle, had brought with him, Mr. Randall got the shock of his life.

"The inheritance has been frozen. That is, no one can take any money out of it for now." Mr. Hansen, the forty year old, red headed, manager told Kyle as he handed the papers back to him without even looking at them.

"FROZEN! WHY?" Kyle jumped to his feet and yelled loud enough to make everyone in the bank turn their heads.

"You will please sit down and lower your voice." Mr. Hansen spoke low and in a warning tone as he stood up and, walking over to the office door, shut it. He then walked back to his office desk and sat down, pulling his chair closer to the desk as he did so.

"What are you talking about?" Mr. Randall growled low. "I have everything in order, and my brother had no outstanding debts."

"All I know is the funds are frozen. If you want the details, you'll have to go to the courthouse and talk to Judge Bennett." Mr. Hansen snapped back; he didn't care for the likes of Mr. Randall and could care less that he might be chasing away a potential customer.

Kyle Randall stood up and, whirling around, stormed out of the office and then exited through the bank doors. He could see the courthouse which stood roughly four hundred yards from where he stood. Who would have had cause to go to the courthouse and successfully request the inheritance left by his brother be frozen? A split second later, he was muttering his niece's name as he headed towards the courthouse, but he was confused too. His brother's will stated that Ruth's brothers were to inherit the money; not his daughters, and all his brother's sons were dead.

"It has to be Ruth. I just don't…" Kyle stopped dead in his tracks as he drew close to the courthouse. For the first time in ten years he realized that; maybe, just maybe the young girl and her friends had lied about his youngest nephew. "No way; she couldn't have, she'd better not of," Kyle began cursing as he practically ran to, and up, the courthouse steps.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty Eight

"Timmy!" Nick called out as he sat on top of his horse and looked around. He could see the trees and small sized boulders that dotted the area he was searching, but saw no sign of Timothy. Nick hoped Heath and the others were having better luck then he was. It had been three weeks since Ruth had accepted his proposal of marriage. Everything would have been fine only Victoria was now questioning Ruth's motivation for accepting that proposal and even the reason behind Ruth wanting Timothy to get his inheritance…and the young child and Ruth had the misfortune of walking into the dining room right in the middle of a very heated conversation between Victoria and himself. Afterwards, Timothy had run off. Now Ruth was at home sick with worry while Nick, Heath and Jarrod, along with some of the ranch hands were out looking for the young boy.

 _"I understand your mother questioning my motives for trying to get Timothy's inheritance and agreeing to marry you. It hurts, but I understand. I might feel the same way if the roles were reversed." Tears were streaming down Ruth's face as she spoke, "Just find Timothy, and help him to see I love him. Sure I think he deserves his inheritance, but if it's a choice between him without the money or him with the money, I'll take him alone any day of the week!"_ As he continued searching, Nick could hear Ruth's words-spoken to him and his brothers as they mounted their horses. Again he called out Timmy's name, and prayed one of them would find him.

 **~oOo~**

Ruth, who had been sitting on the sofa doing her best to concentrate on mending some of Timothy's clothes, had set the clothes aside and walked over to the window. She knew it wouldn't make anyone come home faster; she was simply too nervous to sit still. Only a few hours before she and Timothy had stepped into the dining room and accidentally interrupted the heated debate Jarrod had told Nick and Ruth that he'd received a wire from the Carson City courthouse; one that told him of Kyle Randall's inquiries into 'this matter'. She was terrified that it meant Kyle Randall now knew everything and was now on his way to California.

 _"Don't worry about Timmy," Nick looked down from his horse after he'd given her a peck on the cheek and mounted Coco. "We'll find him."_

 _"Listen to Nick," Heath shot her a lopsided grin, after he'd also mounted Charger. "We won't let anything happen to Timmy if we can at all help it."  
_  
Ruth was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear Victoria enter the room or see the older woman looking at her, with a look in her eyes that said she was hurting for the young woman. Victoria knew all too well the worry and pain that is one's companion when someone you love is missing; the look in her eyes was also mixed with a look of genuine regret…as Victoria knew it was her words that had frightened and upset the boy bad enough to cause him to run. She had been thinking long and hard when it came to Ruth and Nick. Inwardly she sighed. In spite of her struggles to connect to people, Ruth was a good, honest woman and Victoria knew it. She just hoped Nick and the young woman wouldn't come to regret their decision later. Victoria stepped up alongside Ruth. "All my sons are expert trackers; they'll find Timmy." She said as she took a chance and rested her hand on Ruth's shoulder.

Ruth stiffened as she didn't know what to think of Victoria's gesture. However, that action quickly disappeared as Ruth turned her head and saw a sincere look of compassion and understanding in Nick's mother's eyes. Without half thinking, Ruth found herself turning to Victoria as she, Ruth, had done to her mother while the woman was still alive. Victoria simply pulled the young woman into a motherly embrace and held her the same as she would Audra, as Ruth let her tears flow.

Only after Ruth got control of herself did she pull away from Victoria. "I…I'm sorry." Ruth started to turn away only to find Victoria gently, but firmly, turning her back.

"There's nothing to be sorry for. You're frightened as any sister, or mother, would be." Victoria paused and then gestured towards the sofa. "May we talk?"

A tiny portion of Ruth wanted to decline, but she pushed that aside out of gratitude towards Victoria giving her a shoulder to cry on. "Sure," Ruth answered as she made her way to the sofa; Victoria was right behind her. While the topics they discussed were pretty much the same, there were no loud accusations or questioning motives. No, this time there was simply quiet talking and sincere listening from both sides.

 **~oOo~**

Heath, who had searched a large portion of the North Ridge, started to turn his horse around when he heard the sound of a small child crying. He quickly turned Charger around and headed in the direction the sound was coming from. After passing by a couple of trees, he looked down at a bush and saw a couple of boots barely showing, and the crying was coming from inside the bush. Heath dismounted Charger and knelt in front of the bush.

"Timmy?" He spoke quietly, not wanting to upset the child. "It's me, Heath. Come on out, please." No sooner were the words out of his mouth than Timmy flew out of the bush and, wrapping his arms around Heath's neck, practically knocked him down. Heath chuckled to himself and managed to sit back up. "Glad I found you, everyone's worried sick about you."

"Y…our m..m….mother's not. S..sh…he wants my ma..mm…ma off your ranch. …she thinks m…ma..mama's just after my money, a..a..after N..N..Nick's. She thinks mama doesn't really l…l…love me." Timothy sobbed into Heath's shoulder. "It ain't true! Mama's d…one all she can f…or me, ever since I c…an remember! If she has to leave, I'm leaving too!"

Heath shook his head. "You're wrong about Mrs. Barkley." Heath, not knowing of the conversation his stepmother and Ruth were currently having, struggled to find the words he needed to explain Victoria's point of view. "Sometimes people see a picture, but," he shrugged his shoulders, "they simply see the wrong things. As far as Ruth and you go, no one's asking you to go anywhere."

Timothy sniffled and continued to hold onto Heath. He wanted to believe what Heath had said, only Mrs. Barkley had seemed serious when she'd said Nick would wise to break off an engagement with what very well could be a gold digger and finding her another place to stay. "Mama doesn't use people to get things. She never has. I've seen her give things up again and again when it meant taking something would hurt another person." Timothy felt compelled to make sure Heath knew Victoria was wrong.

Heath was assuring Timothy he understood that when he heard footsteps behind them. Before they could turn around, they heard someone pulling back the hammer of a pistol. He and Timothy both froze when a voice spoke up. "Don't make a move or it will be your last."


	29. Familiar Foe and One Escape

Chapter Twenty Nine

Heath was tied to a post in the basement of what he had recognized as 'the old Mills' place', as he and many people in Stockton called the home that stood on land connected to the Barkley land. He looked over at Timothy. The boy was also tied up, to a pole that stood roughly five feet from Heath. It turned out there were two strangers behind them, and the two men had taken Heath's gun and then forced Heath and Timothy to walk to a wagon they had hidden and then transported the two to the old home. Afterwards, they'd forced them inside where a third man who Heath knew instantly was waiting.

 _"I know you hate me, Barrett, but what do you have against Timmy? He's done nothing to you and," Heath glared at the Barkley's former ranch hand even as the two men with Barrett held firmly onto his arms, "don't tell me his parentage; he's not illegitimate."_

Barrett glared right back, as he punched Heath in the stomach, causing the blond haired cowboy to double over. "He's worth two thousand dollars to me!" Barrett glanced at Timothy, who had been tied to a chair, and then went on to say how he'd been contacted by an old friend whose boss wanted the boy located and held until he, the boss, got there to 'take care of the brat'. "He's crazy if he thinks I'll stand by and watch him kill a mere boy, but I can still make him disappear from here as I know a slave trader in Mexico who will take the boy . I'll just take the money my old friend's boss will give me and convince him I'll deal with the boy myself and," Barrett started cackling, "If I get to get rid of you in the process, it's an added bonus. Put the two down in the cellar, until I decided exactly what I'm going to do about them! That is, what I'm going to do about them after I get back from town!" Barrett barked at the men before storming out of the door.

"I want my mama." Timothy cried quietly even as he tried to get his wrists out of the ropes, though he had no luck with it.

"You'll get her." Heath said as he worked at getting his own ropes around his wrist loose with the small pocket knife his captors had missed in their hurry to get him to Barrett and then secured to the post. 'Thank goodness for small miracles' Heath thought as he finally managed to cut through, thus freeing his hands. He quickly moved to untie Timothy, but instructed the boy to sit as if he was still tied up.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Timothy asked as he glanced towards the door, though he did as Heath instructed. "Those men are still up there. And why do I need to sit here with my arms behind my back if I'm not tied up?" He didn't understand that part; still, as he trusted Heath, he dare not move.

"That won't matter if my idea works." Heath, who had looked around the room and had seen the many glass bottles on the floor, some whole, some broken, along with a window that was too small for him to go through, but large enough for a small child to get through, had had an idea come to him. Heath wasted no time in gathering up some of the bottles; broken and whole, and put them behind the pole he'd been tied to. Timothy then watched in amazement as Heath sat back down, took one of the partially broken bottles and threw it hard against the wall. The sound the glass made was deafening. However, by the time the men upstairs had opened the door and looked inside, all they saw was their prisoners 'tied' to the post and nothing else in the room.

"I know I heard something!" The darker haired, heavy set man barked as he looked at his partner, a red headed bean pole that Heath thought looked more like a skeleton than anything else.

"Me too, but there's nothing different, and they're still secure. I'm going back to my card game." Their red headed captor snapped and disappeared; his dark haired companion quickly followed him.

"What good did that do?" Timothy asked.

Heath smiled and told him to be patient. After five minutes, Heath repeated the action, with the same result, only this time the captors went outside to inspect things. A few minutes after he'd heard the men re-enter the home, Heath picked up another bottle and repeated the action. It was a process he repeated until the men no longer came to the basement or went outside to check on things. In fact, the last time the men checked either place it was all Heath and Timothy could do not to laugh as they heard the mean utter that they were going to tell Barrett the place was haunted and they needed to find a different place as soon as possible.

"Now," Heath, once he was a hundred percent sure the men were no longer interested in investigating the sound of breaking glass, took off his prosthetic leg and threw it against the window. The glass shattered everywhere, and his prosthetic leg landed outside the window. "I'm going to lift you up there, and you're going run to the south as fast as you can. If you run don't take any turns, you're only two miles until you're on our ranch." Heath grabbed Timothy and started lifting him up. "However, before you take off, toss my prosthetic leg back in here."

"I don't want to leave you. They'll kill you." Timothy shook his head, terrified for Heath.

In spite of what Barrett had said, Heath would not put it passed the Barkley's former employee to harm the child. "Maybe, maybe not, but," Heath said as he leaned against the wall and lifted Timmy up. "But if that's the case, there's no use in both of us dying." After Timmy was outside, and had given Heath's prosthetic leg back to him, Heath instructed the lad on which way to go in order to get to some help. "Just make sure Nick knows your uncle is behind this, and that Barrett is involved; tell him Barrett and his friend took us to the old Mills' place." Heath said as he thought on the home they'd been taken too… it was a mere two miles from the boundary lines to the Barkley's ranch. He smiled to himself. Heath didn't know if he would survive or not, but the thought of what Nick would do to Barrett was one very pleasant thought. After a split second, he added, "no matter what happens give Nick a chance, ok?"

Timothy gulped and nodded. "I'll do all those things; I promise." He then turned and ran with all his might in the direction Heath had told him to go.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

Ruth was standing beside the house, while Nick and the men who had riding with him were standing next to the corral and getting ready to remount their horses, when McColl came barreling through the gate; Timmy was with him.

"Timmy!" Ruth screamed and ran towards Timmy as McColl helped him down. "Where did you find him!"

"I came across him a few miles back on the road, running great for someone with a bad leg like his. He says Barrett and a couple of men are holding Heath at the old Mills' place." McColl told Nick, who had quickly stepped away from his horse.

"What happened?" Nick looked at the young boy who now stood next to Ruth, her right arm draped over Timmy's shoulder.

The young boy related the story from beginning to end. "I didn't want to leave him, but he insisted." Timmy wrapped his arms around Ruth and held on for all he was worth as he looked up at Nick. The young boy then turned his eyes from Nick to Ruth and asked, "Why does Uncle Kyle want me dead, Mama?"

Ruth felt the hugest struggle going on inside her as her own eyes moved from her Timmy to Nick. She knew Timothy deserved the truth only, heaven forgive her, she didn't know how to tell him. She needn't have worried as Nick, who had mounted his horse, spoke up.

"You're due a lot of money, son, and your uncle's greedy enough to want it. Don't worry though; we'll go get Heath and then deal with Kyle Randall afterwards." Nick wasn't about to say that if Barrett thought he had been beaten up before he was going to find out different, whether it was by Nick's hand or by the hand of one of his men Barrett _would_ be made to suffer. "Go ahead and take him inside." Nick told Ruth as he and McColl, along with the men who were with them, rode off.

"Come on, Timmy." Ruth turned her 'son' around. "Let's get you inside where you can change clothes and wash up. We'll also do something for that leg of yours." The young lad's pants had been ripped slightly after going through the open window, and she'd see how hard of a time he was having walking.

"Yes, Mama," Timmy answered as he limped alongside Ruth. After all the running he'd forced himself to do, his leg was hurting him quite badly.

~oOo~

"How could you let him escape!" Kyle Randall bellowed. He had surprised Barrett in town and then demanded to see the young boy the courts claimed was his nephew. Barrett had taken him to the old Mills home, only to find the boy missing and two babbling idiots he had hired to watch the boy making excuses for the boy being gone. All four men were standing outside the house looking at the broken glass lying next to the window. "How could you just sit in the living room and do nothing when you heard glass breaking?"

"Like we told you before, we'd heard glass breaking time after time and there was nothing to indicate actual glass being broken!" The blonde haired man working for Barrett barked back. "How were we to know that the window had actually been broken by someone?"

Barrett and Kyle looked through the window where they could see Heath still sitting in front of the pole he'd been tied to. Unable to see behind him, the men thought the prisoner was still sitting there unable to move. "What I want to know is how on earth the boy got loose and how he broke the window!" Kyle Randall had made the statement before, only he and Barrett were now both sweating up a storm. If that boy talked, both he and Kyle knew they would be wanted by the law.

"Bring that man out here!" Kyle demanded as he turned and started walking towards a nearby tree. When Barrett and both his men went to go inside the house, Kyle exploded. What kind of idiots had his contact hired for this job? "Not you, Mr. Barrett! I want to talk to you!"

Barrett muttered under his breath and walked over to where Mr. Randall stood. He figured the man was going to give him the lecture of a life time. He was close to right as Randall turned on him and started yelling, calling Barrett a fool, along with a number of things. If it wasn't for the money the man had promised to pay him once the job was done, Barrett would have let the man have both barrels. Barrett might have interrupted only his two friends started shouting; they could be heard through the broken window.

"What is it?" Barrett demanded as he and Kyle Randall ran to the side of the house.

"He broke the window and let the boy out!" The blonde haired man, who had a hold of Heath's right arm, while his dark haired friend had a hold of Heath's left one, yelled from the cellar floor. "He got out of his ropes!"

Barrett swore and drew his gun only to have Kyle Randall stop him. "NO! Don't shoot him yet!" Kyle snapped and demanded the two men get their prisoner out of the basement and to bring him outside.

"You heard the man." The two captors forced Heath towards, and up, the basement stairs. Once they were out on the porch, Heath was forced to walk down the front steps and towards Kyle Randall, who looked like the top of a volcano close to erupting.

"How did Charles get loose, and where did he go?" Kyle asked as he took a step towards Heath.

"I don't know anyone by that name; that is, not anyone in this area!" Heath growled back. Who cared if he knew what Kyle meant? Besides, not knowing how far Timothy had gotten, Heath was trying to buy the boy as much time as he could.

Barrett doubled up his fist and hit the side if Heath's face. "Don't lie you bastard!" He would have swung again, only Kyle reached up and grabbed Barrett's wrist.

"My nephew's middle name is Timothy." Kyle hissed at Heath. "Where did Timothy go?"

Heath said nothing even as the men holding him pulled his arms backwards, causing a great deal of pain to shoot through his shoulders.

"Answer him!" Barrett kicked Heath in the lower leg. However, having his mind on making Heath talk, the man didn't look at which leg he was kicking. That being the case, Kyle felt a wave of nausea roll over him when the prosthetic leg came off. While the leg stayed inside Heath's pants, the action caused Heath to lose his balance. Although they knew about Heath's disability, the men holding him were still thrown for a surprise and-without thinking-let go and let Heath fall to the ground.

Kyle, recovering from his shock, pulled his pistol out from his holster. "That boy and his sister are costing me a lot of money. Now, either tell me where the boy went, or I will kill you!"

Heath lifted his head and, glaring at the man, replied in quiet even tone, "Never."


	31. Final Chapter and Epilogue

Chapter Thirty One

 _Previously: Kyle, recovering from his shock, pulled his pistol out from his holster. "That boy and his sister are costing me a lot of money. Now, either tell me where the boy went, or I will kill you!"_

Heath lifted his head and, glaring at the man, replied in quiet even tone, "Never,"

 **~oOo~**

Nick pushed Coco forward as fast as he could; the men with him did the same. He kept asking the man upstairs to help him, McColl and the others to get to Heath before anything else happened to him. After all, it was bad enough that his half brother had to live life with half his leg missing; Heath didn't need any more bad things to happen to him. And, truth be told, Nick's heart-like the rest of the family's-now had Heath's fingerprints all over it. However, the moment he and the others heard a shot ring out, they pushed their horses even harder.

The old Mills place had no sooner came into view that Nick saw a stranger who fit the description of Ruth's uncle, with a pistol in his hand standing over Heath, who was lying on the ground. Nick's heart dropped into his stomach, as he did not know if the stranger had actually killed Heath. However, he didn't wait to find out. In no time at all, he had pulled his rifle, aimed it at the stranger and pulled the trigger. The bullet hit the man in the side of the head, making it so he dropped to the ground dead before he knew what had hit him. Barrett and the other men, who were shocked beyond measure to see Nick and the others riding towards them, scattered though, it did no good. Before Barrett could count to ten McColl, who was closer than him, had jumped off his horse and tackled Barrett to the ground; McColl yelled for Nick to go see how Heath was. He needn't have bothered yelling the request though; Nick was already kneeling beside Heath.

"You no good low life…" McColl said as he pelted Barrett with his fists as he added a few choices words onto everything else he was saying. By the time McColl was through with Barrett the man lay on the ground with multiple broken bones and unable to move. "You're lucky I didn't simply hold you for Nick; he'd probably have killed you without a second thought!" McColl spat as he wiped the blood for his lip and hollered for some of the men to fix something up so they could transport Barrett back to town and back to the law. In the meanwhile Nick was desperately trying to get Heath, who had indeed been shot by Kyle, to respond to him.

"Heath!" Nick cried out again as he knelt beside his blonde haired brother and saw blood on the side of his brother's shirt. He was relieved to see Heath open his eyes.

"Thought for sure I'd never see you again; well, not in this life anyway I didn't." Heath threw Nick a crooked smile. "What took you so long?"

Nick did his best to smile, as he hollered at one of the men to give him, Nick, something to stop Heath's bleeding. It was a request that was quickly fulfilled. "Guess I'm just kind of slow. Let's get you home and patched up."

"Kyle Randall, Barrett…" Heath tried to turn his head.

"Randall's dead and," Nick glared at Barrett who still laying unmoving, "Barrett will be going away for a long time. Now, like I said, let's get you home." Nick answered, grateful his brother was still alive; he prayed he would stay that way.

 **(Six months later)  
**  
Heath, who had been confined to his bed longer than he would have liked, now stood in a room in the church building watching Nick trying to get his tie straightened out. He still would have liked to have seen his brother and Ruth court a full year before even getting engaged let alone married; however, he wasn't going to say that to them. It was like he told Timothy, the only choices he had the right to make were his own. Besides, he had to admit that he'd never seen Nick happier and-like Timothy pointed out-Ruth's eyes were smiling brightly now. Maybe, in time, any doubts anyone might have concerning this marriage would be proven wrong.

"Need any help?" Heath asked as he fought to keep a huge grin off his face; his brother looked so comical trying to get the tie just right.

Nick growled and then accepted. "I kind of wish we'd just eloped; we thought about it, but we'd already promised not to do that as long as no one gave us problems."

Heath didn't doubt his brother in the least. He couldn't say he blamed the two for still contemplating running off either; weddings were such a hassle. Maybe, when the day came that he was ready to settle down, he'd have to discuss elopement with whoever he wound up proposing too. "Too late now," Heath chuckled as he did Nick's tie up for him. "You're stuck with putting up with the wedding ceremony."

Heath chuckled again when Nick growled softly and then started laughing along with him. "To be honest, Heath, as long as Ruth doesn't change her mind and run out on me, I'll live with it just fine." Nick smiled and then proceeded to make his way to the chapel. Soon he and Heath were standing off to the side of Reverend Stacy, while Jarrod walked Ruth up the aisle.

 **Epilogue (Four years later)**

The Barkleys front lawn was once again filled with guests from all over the valley. This time it was because Nick and Ruth-who had a three year old daughter by the name of Rose Marie- had now been blessed with a set of fine, healthy twin boys, Nicolas James and Nathanial Victor. Due to the fact that Ruth was *Methodist, Nick…who refused to have his wife go to church alone…had been attending church with her since the beginning of their marriage, and they'd just had the twins baptized. All of the Barkleys were there…Jarrod and Laura; Dr. Merar's daughter who was now Jarrod's fiancé, Audra and her husband; she' d married Will Marvin and was expecting their first child, along with Eugene; who had married a young woman by the name of Camilla Johnson, and was living in New York. The couple had traveled to California to see the twins baptized.

"Boy howdy, brother, if you keep pulling stunts like this, the rest of us won't have to worry about populating the earth." Heath walked up to Nick, who was sitting on a lawn chair holding a baby in each arm. Ruth had had to take Timothy into the house to tend to a cut he'd received when he and another teenage boy had collided with each other while Nick's young daughter played nearby with her doll.

Nick laughed and grinned from ear to ear as Heath sat down and took one of the twins from him. "I doubt I'll have to worry about that; it's not like twins run rapid on either side of our families." Then, because he could tell something was bothering Heath, he told him to spit it out. "Don't need this day spoiled wondering what's up." Nick told Heath as he, Nick, looked at the babies and then back at Heath.

"Are you happy, really happy?" Heath had wondered for a long time, even there were no signs of discontent in his brother's marriage.

Nick didn't answer at first; he was too busy letting a memory from just a few days before he and Ruth found out she was expecting for a second time run through his mind.

 _Nick and Ruth's laughter rang through the air as he and she had an early morning pillow fight. They'd been joking around with each other and, before he knew it, Ruth had hit his side with her pillow. It hadn't taken him long to get the pillow away from her and pin her against the wall. "You're just as beautiful and special to me as the day we married; you know that?" Nick growled low as he started kissing her._

"Only one difference," Ruth whispered as she pulled back just enough to look into his eyes.

 _"What's that?" Nick asked slightly confused._

"I'm hopelessly and madly in love with you." Ruth answered softly as she gazed into his eyes.

A smile spread across Nick's face, one that went from ear to ear as he remembered how he'd swept her up into his arms and carried her to their bed. "Yes, I am and, someday, I hope you find someone just as special as Ruth." Nick answered just as Ruth approached them.

"Maybe someday," Heath said as he looked towards a young red headed woman name Teresa, who had just moved to Stockton and made friends with the Barkleys, and was standing near Victoria. He then handed the infant in his arm to Ruth and then excused himself, leaving Nick with his family.

 **~oOo~**

A/N  
A/U One of my online friends did some research for me. The only faith in Stockton at the time of the Barkleys that believed in infant baptism at the time was the Catholics. Only thing is…I KNOW Ruth wasn't Catholic. So, in this AU, the Methodists have a small congregation in the town and, while not all Methodists believe in infant baptism, this congregation does.


End file.
